Shocking

The wife and I decided to check out the coastal cleanup happening today along the Washington Coast.  Their site is Coast Savers.

I've spent some time hiking the coastal beaches in the past and must have had blinders on.  I cannot believe the amount of garbage we were able to pick up in a short time.  Tons of rope, plastic bottles, fishing floats, tires, tuna cans, and miscellaneous junk all along our beaches.  I wish I could say this was an urban beach where the garbage came from local residents or industry, but this was a beach along between the Hoh and Queets Rivers in Olympic National Park.  Shocking that there's so much garbage on the beaches, but just as shocking is where it's coming from... our oceans and our consumption of plastic crap.  We've been working on reducing our plastic consumption before this cleanup and will work even harder now.

I'm ashamed at my past obliviousness towards the garbage on the beach.  Look forward to next year's cleanup along with carrying my own bag to pick up items whenever I get back out there.

The Frigid Dusk

Just returned from my first trip back to the rainforest since last February.  I always feel refreshed after spending a day fishing these beautiful wild rivers.  I am a huge fan of the National Park system as well which only adds to the joy of being in such a place. 

I arrived the night before and decided to see if there would be any space available in a coastal campground.  Luckily for me, there was a spot or two to choose from.  The truth is that I don't think any one else was there.  The cold temperatures seemed to keep everyone away.  I backed into the spot and built a fire and enjoyed some dinner.

The sounds of the surf were soothing as I watched the sun slowly set over the clouds sitting offshore.

I enjoyed the view and as the skies darkened the stars came out.  The milky way seemed to dive from the heavens into the pounding surf.  The occasional shooting star grabbed my attention but I knew that it was going to be an early morning so with visions of grabby steelhead dancing in my head I fell asleep to the Pacific's roaring sound machine.

Next.... an even colder dawn.