Cloquallum not a Loop Hike in the fog to start the year.

9 miles 700 feet elevation gain

Check out this Yew wood spoon that Phil made for me!

 

Sage knew it was hiking day so I had to sneak my pack out the back door.  She is not well enough to hike anymore, she has a bad heart. 

I decided to go back and do the same loop but counter-clockwise.  I wanted the best view to coincide with lunchtime this time.  So up I went, up the logging road but there was no view at all.  The spot I had in mind was totally socked in with fog.

It was cold and windy and I did want to get my feet wet on the brush crashing section of the loop, so I decided to double back instead of completing the loop this time. 

As I as heading out I saw a truck so I jumped into the bushes and hid.  I almost always hide when I see a car or truck on the logging roads when I am alone.  I was only able to get about two feet off the road and was not really concealed as the truck went past.  The truck said "champion" on the side at it appeared to be commercial.  The driver never saw me.  It is amazing how easy it is to hide from passing cars.  Drivers don't look to the side much.   But even deer hunters who drive slow and look to the side never see me hiding.  

So far every time if I see the car first I get away without them seeing me.  A few times a car has come up on me and surprised me and I had no time to hide, but that is very rare.

I hide because I don't want to talk to anyone, I'm out there for solitude.  I don't want my chain of though destroyed and I don't want to risk negative interactions.  The way to 100% avoid negative interactions is to have none at all.

I figured the truck would be back soon, cars on these roads often due and this truck seemed lost and even more likely to come back.  I decided that was a good time to head into the woods I had been eyeing and have my lunch break up in the trees out of sight from the road.

I had a nice lunch break, but I was wrong about the truck coming back, I never did see that truck again.  This was my first time hiking on this road and seeing another person.  My perfect record of solitude on the route has been destroyed.

I am moving to New Zealand in late March.  I need to get back into the National Park and do some of my favorites hikes there.   They days are getting longer now so I can drive further.  Also Sage is not fit enough to hike so I may as well go enjoy the park where dogs are not allowed.

Witches butter fungi

Foggy view