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Oil City to Third Beach Hike - Day 1

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At the trailhead. Note the rain gear. Same as last year's 7 Lakes Basin hike.


A view of the beach while walking the half mile stretch from the trailhead along the Hoh River to the beach.


Rob and Nick along the Hoh.


Our group, nearing the beach.


Lots of different kinds of birds. Huge brown pelicans too.


On the beach heading north. The rain had stopped at this point and things were looking good weather-wise.


It wasn't long before we reached our first point where clambering over boulders was required.


Fred following Frankie, with Rob and Nick behind them.


The rain begins again. Note Evan, Max and Nick's ponchos.


This trail is famous for its ladders leading up and down the sides of the impassable headlands. They're constructed of landscaping timbers threaded onto steel cables, usually with a rope for something extra to grap on to.


Max (blue pack) ascends a ladder with Rob looking on. Doing this with backpacks was interesting.


Evan (red pack) climbs up towards Rob and the trail marker. The round quarter-sectioned circle markers of orange and black are usually located up high where trails enter/exit the beaches.


Looking down a ladder towards the beach.


Looking back and down at the first point of rocks we clambered over, and a cove to the north.


More ladders. This one had handrails.


Rob and Nick going up. Gee, do you think they're enjoying this?

DRAMATIC PAUSE

On this day, as much rain fell as does usually fall for the entire month of August. Most of that rain fell between the last happy picture and the pictures below. No pictures were taken during this terrible time. But the experience can be generalized with mentions of deep, wide mud pits sucking shoes off people's feet, full-on falls into the mud pits, 5' high Salal bushes soaking wet on each side of the trail with only a 6" wide space to walk through, heavy down pours, *very* steep ravines that had to be traversed with lots of *very* slippery mud, and some kids in tears. It was ugly.


We finally reached our goal of Mosquito Creek and took stock of our wet gear. Rob here demonstrates how to wring water out of a sleeping bag. Note Dillon in the background with his fleece bathrobe. An interesting choice of camp gear to bring.


The younger kids quickly went to play by the river while the adults set up camp. Fortunately the rain abated during this time, only to resume with a vengance later. Since none of us had rain-proof backpack covers, virtually everything we brought got wet. Dan was the only one with a completely dry sleeping bag.

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