Month: October 2012

You and Me Together, Yeah (Seattle version)

“You and Me”
Dave Matthews Band

Want to pack your bags something small
Take what you need and we disappear
Without a trace we’ll be gone, gone
Moon and the stars will follow the car
And then when we get to the ocean
Gonna take a boat to the end of the world
All the way to the end of the world

Oh and when the kids are old enough, we’re gonna teach them to fly

You and me together
We could do anything baby
You and me together yes, yes
You and me together
We could do anything baby
You and me together yes yes

You and I were not tied to the ground
Not falling but rising like rolling around
Eyes closed above the rooftops
Eyes closed we’re gonna spin through the stars
Our arms wide as the sky, we’re gonna ride the blue
All the way to the end of the world
To the end of the world

Oh and when the kids are old enough, we’re gonna teach them to fly

CHORUS

We can always look back at what we did
Always remembering how you and me did
Right now it’s you and me forever girl
And you know, we could do better than
Anything that we did
You know that you and me
We could do anything

You and me together
We could do anything, baby
You and me together yeah, yeah
Two of us together, we could do anything baby
You and me together yeah, yeah
Two of us together yeah, yeah
Two of us together, we could do anything baby

It’s so small
Till we reach the end of the world

(or at least Seattle)

This is the song that was in my head during our ferry ride from the Port Angeles area to downtown Seattle.  It wasn’t the end of the world, but it sure felt like it.  Surreal, romantic, dreary and yet dreamy.  We sat at benches and looked at the wet and heavy sky and sampled clam chowder and chili with crackers and warmed our feet before our journey continued, leaving behind the wonders of the mountains and beaches for the cosmopolitan journey that preceded yet another mountain adventure.  Oh, Washington, how lovely your coastlines appear just before they slip away for the prospect of your other bountiful offerings.

Crescent Lake


In between the Salmon Cascades near Sul Doc and the Hurricane Ridge viewpoint, we stopped here to complete the requirement for a virtual geocache.
This place reminded me of Bear Lake, in Rocky Mountain National Park. I think it was the way the mountains cupped the lake between them. I have a picture from my younger days of a day at Bear Lake and it looks almost just like this photo.
There are a number of trails surrounding this lake, with one of them leading to “The Devil’s Punch Bowl”, a popular swimming and diving hole. Lake Crescent Lodge nearby offers accommodations to overnight guests that are an ideal base of operations for exploring nearby areas, including Mount Storm King.
What is interesting about this lake, I think, is that its depth has proved hard to measure. I think to this day, no one really knows how deep it is. Originally, it’s depth was recorded as 624 feet by the National Park Service, because that is how far equipment could measure in 1964. However, later in this century, as they tried laying power cable in the lake, the depth was recorded as 1000 feet…because again, that is how far the equipment of the time could measure. It is officially the second deepest lake in Washington, even though the actual depth still remains a mystery.

Hiking link for Mount Storm King:
http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/mount-storm-king

Hurricane Ridge


Hurricane Ridge might have been one of my most favorite places I have ever been – if we had been able to see it. Darn clouds!
The drive up to Hurricane Ridge, a viewpoint in Olympic National Park, is not one for the weak of heart, or those with heart conditions, or with a fear of heights. It reminded me a bit of the drive up Pikes Peak – slow going, with little room for error. Or a lot of room, depending on how you saw it. Few guardrails, and a steep drop down the mountain below for a quick jerk of the steering wheel.
It’s 17 miles down the road from Port Angeles to this viewpoint. One could stay in the Heart O’ The Hills campground about 12 miles north of the viewpoint along the road. I think if I ever make it back there, I will do that, and spend at least a night, and go hiking.
This day, we were on a mission to get to Seattle by 3 pm, and we were getting slowed down by our diversions and desires. We just had time to check out the visitors center and get a few pictures before heading back to the highway.