The sound of rain, wind and the pounding surf woke us in the wee hours of the morning and as the day dawned it looked to me like it would be a good day to just hide in the tent. But no, that's not what they do out here on the "wet" coast. You dress for the weather and soldier on. We ate granola standing in the pouring rain and then headed out for the Cape Scott Light Station, a manned light house in service since the 1960's. It is a 6K hike through the woods, out onto beaches and through sand dunes. The rain continues to fall and not surprisingly, we are alone on the trail. Maybe hiding in the tent was not such a bad idea....
Everywhere there are floats, every color, shape and size. They are used to mark the trail entry and exit points as these could be easily missed otherwise. I love the way they look and am tempted to take a few out with me, but good sense and the threat of the extra weight over the return trip prevails. Besides, how could I ever choose..
Finally, we make it to the light. One of the lighthouse keepers comes out to chat and he is holding a steaming cup of coffee. I briefly consider rushing him for it, but the urge passes. He tells us that the front that brought the rain will pass by mid afternoon. Good news. We take a few pictures, proof that we made it to the light and then turn around to head back to camp.
We are about half-way back to camp when the sky starts to clear. Nice. Roy and I take our time and do some beach combing and exploring among the tidal pools. We love doing this.
When we finally arrive back at camp it is to the group gathered watching gray whales offshore. They are clearly visible without binoculars surfacing to blow, the long roll of their backs and then the tail fluke as they dive deep. There are several of them and they put on quite a show. Dolphins and seals are also frolicking out there. What a thrill! We watch as we eat lunch and then with the sun shining down and our tent and gear all dried out we decide to have a nap.
How's that for a view from the tent?
The rest of the afternoon passes, we walk the beach, explore, and enjoy our surroundings. Another dehydrated dinner, this time beef stroganoff, more cookies and iodine-flavored coffee to wash it down. Life can't get better than this. The sun starts to set, sinking into the Pacific Ocean and it is spectacular. The end of another unbelievable day.
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