Sister Time in the Northwesternest Corner

"There is pleasure in the pathless woods, there is rapture in the lonely shore, there is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar; I love not Man the less, but Nature more." - Lord Byron

 So many years ago, I can't even remember how long, the kids and I were camping with my sister, Tina and her family for Memorial Day weekend. It was a yearly event and as usual, Tina's birthday fell within the weekend so we gave her the usual camping birthday party. A dessert, the song, the hugs. She received from her husband that year, a backpack, a nice one, for adventures she longed to take. Little did she know the adventures that God already had planned for her. Little did she know that one of her daughters, having Type 1 diabetes would need her care nearly 24/7, little did she know the many hours she would spend in the hospital attending to her oldest daughter as she also suffered from a severe autoimmune disease, or how difficult it would be to get babysitters when 5 of her 8 children had special dietary needs. But through the years Tina put her dreams on hold without complaint and tended to the needs of her children. The backpack sat unused for many years.

With her oldest son about to turn 20 and her youngest going on 5. She felt her time had come. She found a moonless night in July on the calendar and said, "This is the weekend we are going." We scheduled it, and come hell or high water, we were going to do it. Well, we didn't have to deal with hell, but high water, yes. We planned a two night backpacking trip to Shi Shi Beach, near Neah Bay, WA, the most northwestern point of the lower 48 states. Upon checking the tides at the Ranger station we found out that we would be on the beach during the highest high tide of the year to that point. On the other hand, we would also experience one of the lowest low tides which would provide excellent tidal pool exploration.

We did a little planning over the phone about what to bring and looked into the permits we would have to obtain. It was all pretty simple: we needed an overnight pass for camping in the Olympic National Park and a recreation use permit from the Makah Tribe, which could be purchased at any store in Neah Bay.  Also, because we didn't have one, we needed to rent a bear canister from the Port Angeles Ranger Station, more to keep our food safe from raccoons and crows than bears (although there have been reported sightings).

My girls ended up staying at Tina's house with their Uncle Mike and cousins and the boys stayed at home by themselves. I bid the boys farewell and met Tina at her house Thursday morning with the girls. They were excited to stay with their cousins, their best friends. This made leaving for a few days easier for my peace of mind. Once packed in the truck we were on our way! We giggled to ourselves at the very thought of this trip finally happening! The drive was enjoyable and the conversation wonderful and the silences comfortable. To me, nothing compares to being in the company of my sisters, it is the best. We've been through everything together, we've shared childhood memories, joy and chaos. We experienced the different stages of motherhood together, rejoiced in each others good days and commiserated in the bad. We've shared the same friends, we've cried together in difficulties and laughed so hard together that we literally peed our pants. Yet, I'm sure even on that day, in the back of both of our minds, the ever present concerns of motherhood lurked in our minds like shadowy reminders of the responsibilities always awaiting us.

We got our permits taken care of and found the overcrowded parking lot. Because it was full, we had to find a private residence half a mile away that charged $10 a day to park on its lawn.  We would need to pay $30 but only had two $20 bills. We left them and a note asking for change to be left at the truck as there was no attendant on the lot. It was hopeful thinking, but we had no other choice. We heaved our heavy packs on our backs, took some pictures and headed down the shady road toward the Shi Shi Beach trailhead. Neither of us had prepared to carry 35 pounds backpacks. It was Tina's first time and my first time since training for Search and Rescue a year and a half ago of having such a heavy pack resting on our hips. As we walked, however, at least for me, my pack and I became one and our mantra was "one step in front of the other".

Tina at the trail's beginning

The boardwalk portion in the shade.

Just after the trailhead we dropped into a lush green forest. The remnants of enormous trees could be seen in form of stumps but the regrowth was great enough to provide shade for the forested two miles of our hike. It soon became a game of "try not to fall in the mud" as we entered the famously muddy parts of the trail. Just before our steep descent to the beach we approached a staircase which eventually spit us out onto the beach below. 

One of the many muddy stretches.

Violet resting on the beach.

 We were excited to begin the second stretch to our destination, "Point of Arches". The temperature increased quite a bit now, however, not being in the shady protection of the forest. We were also walking on sand, which made it seem like each step took a little more effort, but the scenery was breathtaking.

The sky was a cloudless blue and the waves contrasted, breaking on shore clean white and clear waters.  To the north and south were natural sculptures of rock jutting out into the surf. The beach barely hid the earth as low tide revealed it reaching toward the surface.

Rocky earth reveals itself on the beach at low tide

After about half a mile of hiking on the beach, we both felt the need for a lunch break and the desire to stand or sit pack free. A rocky nook near the tree line beckoned for our company and we found a cave like lunch spot to re-energize. After doing so, we loaded back up and walked toward the harder packed wet sand which was easier to walk on. A older man came walking over to us to show us a picture he had taken of us (first picture on this blog post). He said he had been trying to get his sister to come out with him and wanted to show her that women do get out and hike. He asked our permission to share it and bid us a fun adventure. 

After hiking another hour or so, we started looking for sites to set up camp. Knowing it would be a very high tide that night and the next we looked for something near the treeline. Soon we found the perfect location, a fire pit with a previously made driftwood bench on the beach with a hidden tent site just in the trees. It was love at first sight! We wasted no time setting up the tent and claiming our spot so we could get to work scavenging firewood. 

We spent the next two days in an activity that is every mothers' dream...relaxing. When we try to relax while camping with kids they are constantly asking for us to do something. We try to explain that we ARE doing something...it's called relaxing! No explanation was needed on this trip. We sat in our chairs or on the sand and read books, watch the surf, explored tidal pools, talked without interruptions, took tons of pictures, laughed, felt young again, and enjoyed hours long naps to the sound of the ocean. It was just what we both needed. We spoke many times of our kids and how much they would love it there. We kept in touch with our families because we are moms and that's what we do. We vowed to do this every year possible from here on out.

After our five mile hike back to the truck, we found the $10 change that we asked for but didn't really expect. It was in an envelope tucked under the windshield wiper. We were both elated to know honesty and understanding still exist in a world that sometimes seems void of both.

Before we left for home, we took one more hike to Cape Flattery. It was an easy hike through beautiful green forests and on boardwalks that ended on a cliff overlooking the island on which stood Cape Flattery Lighthouse. The waters were teal blue and teaming with life, from seals to sea birds. We sat just off the trail and let our feet hang over the edge, savoring the last few moments of our adventure. 

Upon our return home, our girls came running out to greet us with hugs and kisses reminding us that all the times we wanted to adventure, but couldn't because our children needed us, was also time well spent.