Lake Swano and Makarenko Park

 

Just a dumpster dive hike in the city.  There are a few nice walks in Aberdeen and Cosmopolis but sadly the near constant stench from the pulp mill blights everything. 

I guess I need to wear a N95 mask if I want to walk around here and not get a sore throat from the nasty air.  

I started at Lake Swano at Grays Harbor College thinking it was a longer trail that it was.  Before I knew it I was off the Lake Swano trail system and had wandered in Makarenko Park.  I've never been to either place before.

Makarenko has a very pretty one mile long trail.  It was a joy to walk.  Too bad about the toxic air though.

I forgot to take a picture of "lake" Swano. 

3 miles today with 50 feet elevation gain.

Enchanted Valley Trail

 

Quinault is so much closer to Aberdeen that I expect to be exploring it some.    I have been having a terrible time sleeping so I figured a hike might help with that.

I did not go very far due to the long slow drive down a dirt road and the snow.  I felt like I got some good exercise today anyway and I got some photos that I like. 

Hikes and drive like this give me too much time to think about my recent failed relation ship.  They say it's good to process the feelings, but I can't say that I am enjoying it. 

5 (ish) miles with 600 feet elevation gain. 

Twin Harbors to Westport

This picture of a seagull running away from the waves
with a dead crab in it's mouth, just makes me smile 

 

   My first real hike since I got back to the USA.  I cried some on the drive and a bit for the first couple of miles.  By the end of my hike I felt so much better. 

No matter what is wrong with me, hiking seems to be the answer.  Even my piriformis pain was much improved by the end of the walk. 

This was my first walk with my new walking around a lens and for a huge change this is a full frame lens.  I think I can see the difference in some of the photos. 

I started at 9:15 and was done by 2pm.  Used my duelcatchmon to autocatch pokemon.

Living in Aberdeen is nice if you want to hike at the ocean!  I wanted to get out into the woods, but with all the recent storms and snows I doubted I would be able to reach any trails.  

My snowshoes and gaiters are on a ship somewhere so no snow hiking for me until I get my gaiters at the very least. 

It's been a while since I've done this entire hike all the way to Westport.  I had gotten into the habit of stopping at Halfmoon beach where my late husband's ashes are.  That entire hike just started to feel too long.  

Today I had motivation to make it to Westport though.  Hot Coffee!  I left all my stove fuel behind in New Zealand and I forgot to pick up stove fuel on the way out of town, so I did not have means to heat water today. 

I felt good on this hike in spite of the fact that I did not hike at all for a month.  It is true that after you have hiked enough years your body just kind of gets used to it.  You don't have to do a long hike every week. 

10 miles 50 feet elevation gain