Mason Health awarded 9 full-ride scholarships this spring to Shelton High School Health Sciences Academy graduating seniors. Congratulations to the following winners, who will be o ered a position at Mason Health upon graduation from a local medical training or higher education program
This weekend I had an epiphany of sorts, "a sudden perception of the essential nature or meaning of something."
These last few months have been packed. Honestly, since COVID when the rest of the world essentially stopped, I feel like we've been moving a million miles a second and barely able to catch our breath. Take for example, Forest Festival's Timber Days–impromptu monthly car shows and movies in the park. I swore once I got to host a outdoor showing of The Princess Bride my event goals had been reached. But no. We also took on a few years of Christmastown events, a bunch of tree mazes and helped out a couple other events that were struggling to regain traction after two years of uncertainty.
At times we wonder what is it all for? Especially those events when no one shows and the streets are filled with vendors and volunteers who were convinced to join your crusade. Yes, it happens.
Or the negative posts on Facebook that insist the volunteer run project should be done differently. These moments can make it hard to remember: "Why?"
But today I almost had an epiphany. While attending Shelton Dance Center's Mother's Day annual recital, I weaved through the audience crowd (this is a BIG event in Shelton) to use the restroom and as I was returning to get in line I felt compelled to offer help to the ticket–taker, Michelle Crow. It wasn't much but Michelle smiled brightly, she has a beautiful smile, and replied, "here, you can help hand out programs."
For the next thirty minutes I pulled apart the pink show programs as fast as my dry fingers could separate the copies (since COVID we don't lick our fingers in the produce section or public anymore).
(continued next page)
ISSUE 25 | VOLUME 7
FJORDIN CROSSIN
June 17, Hoodsport – 15
RADIO JOINS THE FJORD FAMILY
Radio, Print & Web - 17
MUCKLESHOOT CELEBRATES
Return of the Canoe Journey - 19
Summer Songwriter's Stage – 23
TUNNEL CREEK
Craig Romano feature hike - 30
BLUEGRASS FROM THE FOREST
July 7-9, Shelton WA - 36
SHELLFISH FEATURE-38
HOODSTOCK 2023
August 19-20, Union – 40
3000 MILES OF GRIT & GUITARS – 56
5 Curious Facts about NW AMPHIBIANS – 59
QUILCENE FAIR & PARADE
September 16, Quilcene - 63
Tracing the Fjord is produced quarterly by IMAGE IN ACTION DESIGN RACHEL
The families filed in, each person laden with flowers for their performers.
Working alongside Leanne Gunther, Jennifer Renecker, and Michelle, we knew nearly every person that walked through the door. They expressed a steady stream of smiles, kind and knowing words, and goodwill. Afterwards I watched hundreds of kids, including my own, perform on stage. They gave their best efforts, their parents were proud. Everyone laughed, cheered, and applauded. Farewells were made to the graduating seniors, and the dancers were congratulated with flowers.
There you have it. This is community. This is why. Humans are social creatures. We all need interactions, especially positive ones. Whether at work, school, events, or in our cul de sac, each community make us feel whole with a sense of belonging.
Recently we took on another big picture idea. Despite incredulation from our friends and families, we purchased KMAS 1030 AM/103.3 FM with friend, former host, and radio guru, Jeff Slakey.
The radio station just celebrated its 60th anniversary and was facing imminent closure. Some may feel that radio is dead. Others may speculate that it will never work. I would argue the 'big picture' takes incredulous ideas to really see results.
Our hopes to restore the station back to its former glory evokes visions of listeners driving HWY 106 or 101 between our beautiful communities–tuning in for great music, news, weather, local insights and voices, or event interviews. Before you know it, the miles of road will no longer separate us. Belfair, Allyn, Shelton, Lilliwaup, Hoodsport, Matlock – one community united by a single voice over the air. This is why. Community is about communicating and making connections. I am proud Tracing the Fjord has been sharing our area's amazing tales and events for over six years. I look forward to seeing how the radio can help further those connections. So, tune into KMAS 1030AM/103.3FM or on your computer streaming at tracingthefjord.com. Like print better? That's ok, you have a whole magazine to read. Most of all, get involved in your community. You too may almost have an epiphany.
Mondays
Live Music
Mondays, 10 AM - 12 PM
The Hub, 111 NE Old Belfair Hwy, Belfair
Bring a snack to share and dust off your dancing shoes. $1 members, $3 for non-members.
Tuesdays
Shelton Parks & Rec Pickleball
Tuesdays, 9 - 11 AM
Bookmobile in Brinnon & Quilcene
Tuesday, 10 AM - 12 PM
Brinnon Community Center
Tuesdays, 1:30 - 4:00 PM
Quilcene Community Center
Hood Canal Lions Club Meeting
3rd Tuesdays each month, 5:30 PM 330 E Country Club Drive E, Union
Wednesdays
Trivia Night at the Alderbrook Resort
Wednesdays, 6:30 -8 PM
10 E Alderbrook Dr, Union
ZUMBA at the Hub
Wednesdays, 8:30 AM
111 NE Old Belfair Hwy, Belfair.
Thursdays
Shelton Parks & Rec Pickleball
Thursdays, 9 - 11 AM
Community Transit Center (MTA)
Adult drop-in pickleball. $3.00/drop in.
Creative Creations
Thursdays, 3 PM - 5 PM
Timberland Library, 710 W Alder St, Shelton
Craft and STEAM activities with supplies and featured projects to inspire observation, exploration, design, engineering and creation of all kinds. Kids and families, all ages. FREE
Live From the Shell Pile (Beginning June 29)
Hama Hama Oyster Co, Lilliwaup
Thursdays, 3 - 6 PM
No cover, no reservations, all ages.
2023 Music Schedule:
6/29: Anderson Lake Swamp Thing: Folk & Blues
7/6: Bread & Gravy: Rock, Bluegrass & Blues
7/13: Honey Babe: Soulful, Indie-folk Duo
7/20: Seth Ryan Unger: Acoustic, Easy Listening,
7/27: Bread & Gravy:Rock, Bluegrass & Blues
8/3: 3,000 Miles: Acoustic, Americana
8/10: Bread & Gravy
8/11: FarmStrong
8/17: Seth Ryan Unger
9/24: 3,000 Miles
9/31: Anderson Lake Swamp Thing
Live Music at the Hook & Fork
Thursdays, 3PM - 5PM
Union City Market, 5101 SR 106, Union Check unioncitymarket.com for schedule.
Fridays
Shelton Family YMCA FREE Teen Night
Fridays, 5 PM - 8 PM
3101 N Shelton Springs Rd, Shelton
YMCA open for teens (7–12 grade) to get active, spend time together, play basketball, swim.
Bingo at the Hub
Every 3rd Friday of the month, 6:30 PM 111 NE Old Belfair Hwy, Belfair
Live Entertainment at the Drift
Fridays, 9 PM, 19330 US Hwy 101, Skokomish
Saturdays
Bookmobile in Brinnon & Quilcene
Saturdays, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM Brinnon Community Center; 2- 4 PM Quilcene Community Center
Market on the Hill in Hoodsport
2nd & 4th Saturdays (thru Sept), 9 AM - 3 PM
St Germain Episcopal Church, Hoodsport
Cove Coffee Social Hour
Saturdays, 12 - 1 PM
Cove Country Store, 303075 US Hwy 101, Brinnon
Meet your neighbors and share coffee & pastries.
Bingo at Brinnon Booster Club
Saturdays, May 27, 6:45 PM
Brinnon Booster Club, 151 Corey Street, Brinnon
Sundays
Seabeck Community Market
First and third Sunday of each month. 15565 Seabeck Hwy NW, Seabeck, WA
McReavy House (Est. 1890) Historic Tours
Sundays, 12 - 4 PM ( June 18 - September 4)
10 East 2nd Street, Union
Learn about John McReavy and his family, Union's rich history, how far we have come with renovations and where we plan to go. FREE
Potlatch Brewery Fjordin Crossin Beer Release Celebration
May 19, 6 - 9 PM
Potlatch Brewing Co, Hoodsport
Cody Morris, head brewer and founder of Potlatch Brewing Company, is creating a beer for Fjordin.
2nd Annual Arts & Crafts Fair
May 20, 10 PM - 4 PM
210 N Fairway Dr W, Hoodsport
Lake Cushman Golf Course will host an arts & craft fair with local artists, food trucks, music, community information. Details call (360) 877-5505.
Oysters on the Beach Kayaking Tour with Hood Canal Adventures
Friday, May 26, 11:00 AM - 2:30 PM
306146 Hwy 101 N, Brinnon
Paddle around Pulali Point and into Dabob Bay viewing seals, eagles and other wildlife before arriving at a small secluded beach to eat lunch, and learn to shuck oysters. hoodcanaladventures.com
Free Family Game Night
Friday, May 26, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM Brinnon Community Center 306144 Highway 101, Brinnon
FjordFest (formerly Brinnon Shrimpfest)
Saturday & Sunday, May 27 - 28, 10 AM – 6 PM 251 Hjelvicks Rd, Brinnon
Fjord Fest, celebrates 30 years with music & food. Admission $10; Kids under 12 FREE with paying parent; Military Free (with ID). fjordfest.com
Rummage Sale
May 27, 9 AM - 2 PM
600 N Lake Cushman Rd, Hoodsport
A great opportunity to find treasures you didn't even know you were looking for.
Through the Garden Gate: Veggies in Abundance
Quilcene Brinnon Garden Club Plant Sale
May 27 - 28, 10 AM – 4 PM
Saturday, February 25, 9:30 - 12 PM
Mason County Public Works, Shelton
306144 US Highway 101, Brinnon
Proceeds fund local nonprofits and charities in our communities.
Through The Garden Gate is offering both in person and zoom options for the workshops this year. See page 22.
Coyle Women's Club Fish & Chips
Adult Prom Fire and Ice
Saturday, May 27, 5:30 PM
Saturday, Feb 25, 6 -10 PM
Laurel B. Johnson Community Center
1060 West Eells Hill Road, Shelton
923 Hazel Point Road, Quilcene
May Club Dive: Point Whitney with Jade Scuba Adventures
Get dressed up and head to the Ridge to support our first responders and this 21+ event featuring DJ Topflight mixing your favorite hits. $45/person.
May 29, 10 AM - 5 PM
Point Whitney, Brinnon
Atomic Washington: Our Nuclear Past, Present, and Future
Sunday February 26, 1:30 - 3 PM
Divers are welcome to join for a day of fun dives, snacks, and community! Expect a wide, gently sloping beach with plenty of wildlife concentrated around a pipe that drops to 100’. Parking at Point Whitney requires a Discover Pass. Contact for rental gear, 360-233-6825.
3371 E Harstine Is Road N, Shelton Washington State’s role in the nuclear era ranges far beyond the construction, operation, and ongoing cleanup of the Hanford nuclear reservation. Drawing from history, science, and popular culture, author Steve Olson reveals the ways in which our state has been a pioneer in the atomic age.
79th Annual Mason County Forest Festival
June 1-4, Shelton, WA
OFFSHORE: Culinary Adventure
Tent at Alderbrook
Thur- Sat , Mar 2- 4, 6:30 PM
10 E Alderbrook Drive, Union
Be immersed in four courses of delicious locally sourced ingredients. alderbrookresort.com
Carnival opens Thursday, SaturdayPet Parade at 10 AM, Grand Parade at 10:30 AM, Logging Show and vendors at Loop Field. SAT evening enjoy live music at the OCCU parking lot, fireworks at 10 PM at Oakland Bay Junior High. masoncountyforestfestival.com
JeffCo Repair Event
Saturday, June 3, 11 AM- 2 PM Brinnon Community Center
Through the Garden Gate: Is a Victory Garden For You?
Saturday, March 4, 9:30 - 12 PM
Have a hole in your favorite sweater? A broken vacuum? Repair events are free community gatherings where individuals can bring their broken belongings to be repaired by local volunteers with a variety of skills and knowledge.
Mason County Public Works, Shelton
Through The Garden Gate is offering both in person and zoom options for the workshops this year. See page 22.
Free day at WA State Parks
Thursday, March 9, all day
Music on the Hill PB&J 3-5
Saturday, June 3, 3 - 5 PM
Celebrate the legacy of Billy Frank Junior's Birthday.
600 N Lake Cushman Rd, Hoodsport
Through the Garden Gate: Native Bees a Buzzin'
Saturday, March 11, 9:30 - 12 PM
Mason County Public Works, Shelton n person and zoom options for the workshops this year. See page 22.
PB&J‘s musical tastes range from originals, blues and classics of rock and country. Long time friends and participants at Tumbleweed Music Festival, Seattle Wooden Boat and venues throughout the northwest.
19330 N US HWY 101 Skokomish, WA 98584
myluckydogcasino.com 360.877.5656
100% NON-SMOKING. 100% OF THE TIME.
IN THE DRIFT
Every Friday Night
Forest Festival Car Show-Off
June 4, all day
Olympic Hwy North, Shelton WA
The event is hosted by the Shelton High School & supports ROTC cadets activities and the Forest Festival. FREE
SVRA/Trans Am Speed Tour
June 9-12
Ridge Motorsports Park
The vintage sports car event of the season! The Speed Tour offers something for every motorsports enthusiast, from gleaming Classics in Saturday’s car show, legendary Corvettes, to thundering 850 hp Trans Am machines. This is an event for the whole family, come for the full weekend; one day won’t be enough!
Tour de Mason Lake: Karen Hilburn Cancer Fund Event
Saturday, June 10, 8:30 AM
2503 Olympic Hwy N, Shelton
The 32 mile course will begin and end in Shelton, traveling past Lake Limerick, circling Mason Lake, and returning to El Puerto de Angeles Restaurant. karenhilburncancerfund.org
NEW MEMBERS RECEIVE A FREE BURGER BASKET IN THE DRIFT. MEMBERSHIP IS FREE, JUST NEED TO BE AGE 21+.
OPEN 11AM – 9PM
Free at Washington State Park
Saturday- Sunday, June 10-11, all day National Get Outdoors Day with free admission to Washington State Parks and Free Fishing Day Sunday.
Coyle Concerts in the Woods: Terry Robb
Sunday, June 11, 3 - 4 PM
Terry Robb is hailed as a blues guitar virtuoso and one of the finest acoustic guitarists on the international scene. His signature fingerpicking style has earned him international acclaim.. Incorporating elements from Delta blues, ragtime, country, swing and jazz, Robb has built a unique blues sound that has made him a legend in his prolific music career spanning four decades. Robb has been inducted into both the Oregon Music Hall of Fame and the Cascade Blues Association Hall of Fame. coyleconcerts.com
Friends of the Library Book Sale
Tuesday, June 13, opens 10 AM
North Mason Timberland Library 23081 WA-3, Belfair, WA 98528
1st Annual Downtown Get Down Street Fair & Music Festival
Saturday, June 17, 12 –11 PM
Railroad Avenue, Shelton
Bring the family to the Shelton Downtown Merchants SIDEWALK SALE (12-6 PM). Visit the merchants, as they flow out onto the sidewalks with their fabulous offerings. Have a bite to eat, visit with the vendors, and be sure to stop by the kids entertainment area on Railroad Ave. sponsored by Jalisco Tortilla Co. It's a chance to interact with fellow shoppers, local business owners, and maybe even make new connections within your community. Enjoy three outdoor stages and three indoor stages at three Downtown venues.
CANTINA OUTDOOR STAGE
12-1PM Lost Above The Owls
2-3 PM Tin Foil Top Hat
5-6 PM Alex Blum and the Roadside Quartet
8-9 PM AttaBomb
CANTINA INDOOR STAGE
3:30-4:30 PM Kitty Mae
9:30-10:30 PM Scott Lesman
WILDE IRISH OUTDOOR STAGE
1-2 PM Nick Cain
4-5 PM Kyle and Darin Band
7-8 PM DNA Band
10-11 PM Slainte
WILDE IRISH INDOOR STAGE
2:30-3:30 PM Sean Curkendall
5:30-6:30 PM Dogger (Clinton) Mullins
8:30-9:30 PM Skyla Kate
11-1 PM Suped up Fjord
RAILROAD TAP STATION OUTDOOR STAGE
3-4 PM Big Love Band
6-7 PM The Varmints
9-10 PM Nikko and the Night Shift
KITSAP ART CENTER: Watercolor Sailboats
Friday, June 16, 2023, 10 – 12 PM
15565 Seabeck Highway, Seabeck
Wade into the wild world of watercolors and explore your creativity! This project will highlight useful watercolor tricks and painting techniques. This event is open to beginner and advanced painters 13 years and older.
Registration closes June 14th, 2023, register at kitsapartcenter.com/seabeck, cost $40.00
Bon Jon Pass Out
Saturday, June 17, 2022
151 W Columbia St, Quilcene, WA
After leaving Worthington Park, riders take long ascent to Bon Jon Pass. After race enjoy food and beer garden. worthingtonparkquilcene.org
Music on the Hill
Saturday, June 17 , 3 -5 PM
600 N Lake Cushman Rd, Hoodsport
The Angel and the Outlaw, Kathy Jonas and Craig Gurney. Folk music with a smattering of motorcycle poetry.
Coyle Women's Club Texas BBQ
Saturday, June 17, 5:30 - 6:30 PM
Laurel B. Johnson Community Center 923 Hazel Point Rd, Quilcene
FJORDIN CROSSIN
Saturday, June 17, 11 AM - 3 PM
Hoodsport Marina ( See Article)
Join in on this quirky, fun, family event that celebrates Hood Canal with a ceremonial aquavit crossing, paddle, and Scandavian inspired fare, activities, music, and fun! fjordincrossin.com
Coyle Concerts in the Woods: Ash Devine
Sunday, June 18, 3 PM
Coyle, WA
Ash Devine is an internationally touring award-winning singer-songwriter, Appalachian-style folk musician. coyleconcerts.com
Free day at Washington State Parks
Monday, June 19, all day
Celebrate Juneteenth.
MotoAmerica Superbikes
Friday - Sunday, June 23-25
1060 W Eells Hill Rd, Shelton, WA
Enjoy practice and qualifying on Friday plus all-day racing Sat & Sun! 6 classes of road racing Superbikes, Supersport, Stock 1000, Twin Cup, Junior Cup & Mini Cup. Camping and VIP packages available. The weekend also includes Grand Prix go karts, a mini GP race on the kart track, food vendors and surprise entertainment.
Pier Peer at Shelton Yacht Club
Saturday, Jun 24, 8 PM
Underwater lights attract estuary creatures for you to safely scoop up and observe, while volunteers help you discover, identify and learn more about what you’ve found. Register (FREE): pugetsoundestuarium.org/pier-peer
Get involved with the Hood Canal Improvement Club
New to the area and hoping to meet your neighbors? There are lots of ways you can help and have fun with a great group of people!
The following is the preliminary event schedule for HCIC's events. Everyone is welcome to attend these social events for opportunities to network, volunteer and improve our local communities. For information contact Nancy at (206) 604-5871.
June 6, 5:30 – 7 PM *Speaker Series
2023- Harley Lever - “Hood Canal Dark Sky Project”
June 17, 11 – 4 PM Fjordin’ Crossin Hoodsport Marina, Hoodsport, WA
July 4, NO MEETING
July 8, 1 – 4 PM Union ReUnion
A celebration of togetherness with music, picnic, fun & games. Free to community.
Alderbrook Golf & Yacht Club
August 1, 5:30 – 7 PM Ice Cream
Social HCIC & McReavy House Members
Appreciation, McReavy House, 10 E 2nd Ave, Union
August 13, 1 – 4 PM Dalby Waterwheel
100th Birthday Party, Hood Canale
Grotto, 6871 SR 106, Union, WA
September 5, 5:30 – 7PM Speaker Series
October 3, 5:30 – 7PM Chowder Cook-off
Prizes and stiff competition. Come hungry.
October 7 & 8, OysterFest, Shelton, WA
Nov 7, 5:30 – 7PM, Union Story Tellers
Panel
December 1 & 2 Holiday Market
NCCU, 951 E Dalby Rd, Union, WA
December 5, NO MEETING
December 10, 1 – 4PM Christmas Party at the McReavy House – 10 E 2nd , Union,
Unless otherwise noted – activities to be held @ Union Fire Hall, 50 E Seattle Street, Union. contact: info@hoodcanalimprovementclub.org or www.hoodcanalimprovementclub.org.
PNW Military Vehicle Show & Swapmeet
Saturday, Juen 24, 9 AM
11 E Johns Creek Dr, Shelton PNW All Conflicts Military vehicle collectors show and swap meet.
The Savannah Sipping Society
Performances: June 24, 25, 30, July 1, 2
3371 E Harstine Is R25d, Shelton
A laugh-a-minute comedy following four middle-aged women through hilarious misadventures as they discover what it means when circumstances force us to adjust to the uncomfortable twists and turns that life brings. Tickets $10, details: harstinecc.org
9th Lake Cushman Golf Tournament
June 24
All proceeds help youth, sight and hearing, feeding the hungry, diabetes and cancer support. For more info: Kincaidjl1@gmail.com or hoodcanallions@gmail.com.
Aprilia Racers Days
Monday, June 26
Ridge Motorsports Park, 1060 W Eells Hill Rd Registration entitles participants to one test ride session on an Aprilia model (RSV4, Tuono V4, RS 660 & Tuono 660) of their choice, lunch, beverages throughout activity, as well as free track day photography.
Tahuya Day Celebration and Parade
Saturday, July 1 , 10 AM - 3 PM North Shore Road, Tahuya
Enjoy a variety of vendor booths featuring crafts, food, jewelry, baskets, community non-profit groups, craft activities for the kids, and live music.Vendors are welcome to reserve a spot (360) 521-5212 or email lisarbt@gmail.com.
Art for All Ages Art Afternoon
Saturday, July 1, 11 AM - 3 PM PDT
The HUB , 111 NE Old Belfair Hwy, Belfair FREE, details: HUBhappenings.org
18th Bluegrass from the Forest Music Festival
Friday, July 7- 9, hours see page 36
Shelton South Mason Soccer Park
2102 E Johns Prairie Rd, Shelton Camping, jamming, workshops, and great bands are hallmarks of this event! Details and tickets at bluegrassfromtheforest.com
(See article page 36)
Annual Seabeck Road Sale 2023
Saturday, July 8, 9 AM - 3 PM
15565 Seabeck Highway NW Seabeck
Residents who live down obscure gravel roads or no room for parking, etc. sell “stuff” at the SCC outdoor area, ($10, $15 or $20 for spaces). Get ready now for the years-old tradition.
Coyle Concerts in the Woods: The Musers
Saturday, July 8, 3:00 - 4:00 PM
Laurel B. Johnson Community Center
923 Hazel Point Road, Quilcene
The Musers uplift their crowds with foot stomping, high energy performances of original bluegrass, swing, blues, Appalachian, Irish, and sassy cover tunes. coyleconcerts.com
Up, Up, Up Circus/ Movie Under the Stars
Saturday, July 8, 2023 Time: 5 - 10 PM
Worthington Park, 151 W Columbia St, Quilcene
A fun live performance by Up, Up, Up Circus
Troupe followed by a family movie under the stars! FREE, parking and popcorn courtesy of Quilcene Historical Museum.
Royal Tea with the Forest Festival Court
July 9, 11 AM - Colonil House, Shelton
Details page 44
Jefferson Land Trust LandFest
Thursday, July 13, 6 -9 PM
Finnriver Farm & Cidery, Chimacum
Gourmet, locally sourced farm-to-table fundraising dinner Tickets saveland.org
Summer Songwriter Stage, Kristian Bush
July 13, 7 PM, See page 27 for details
6790 WA 106, Union
With 3000 Miles; Tickets $ 35, VIP $100
Allyn Days Salmon Bake
Friday - Sunday, July 14-16
18560 WA 3, Allyn
Enjoy the low tide Mud Run, alder-smoked salmon dinner, oyster shucking, vendors, games, beer garden, live music and dancing, children activities and shellfish delicacies galore.
Music on the Hill Hank & Claire
July 15, 3 -5 PM
600 N Lake Cushman Rd, Hoodsport
If you enjoy sweet harmonies, a bit of sentiment, fun and a big dose of heart, you will love Hank and Claire.
Summer Songwriter Stage
July 20, 7 PM
6790 WA 106, Union
Tickets $25, VIP $100
Expo & Bite of Mason County Street Fair
Friday, July 21, 11:30 AM - 6 PM
1st - 7th Sts, Railroad Ave, Shelton
The Expo offers residents and visitors a chance to check out local services, retailers, and restaurants in a fun atmosphere. Vendors host games, offer giveaways, and host raffles; and restaurants and food trucks prepare delectable bites of food for a great value. Admission is FREE.
Saturday, July 22, 10 - 3 PM
3737 Shelton Springs Rd, Shelton
All cars, trucks, motorcycles, come show off your ride! Trophies, great raffle prizes, exciting displays, family fun, and MORE!
Summer Songwriter Stage
July 27, 7 PM
6790 WA 106, Union
Thom Shepard
Donny Brewer
3rd Street Flea Market
Saturday, July 29, 9 AM- 3 PM
118 S 3rd Street, Shelton
Visit with over 35+ vendors on multiple blocks. T's Cafe grilling with outside seating. KAYO will have prize booth & music.
28th Grapeview Water & Arts Festival
Saturday July 29, 10 AM - 4 PM
5050 Grapeview Loop Rd
An old-fashioned community celebration featuring food, live music, children’s crafts include wooden boat-building, face painting, fishing derby, and floating golf event . Over 40 NW Artists.
National Parks Free Day
August 4, All day
Great American Outdoors Day
Quilcene Historical Museum
14th Annual Tasting Gala
Friday, August 11, 5 - 8 PM
151 W Columbia St, Quilcene
Live entertainment, many of your favorite local artisans, as well as various vintners, brewers, and food vendors.
Hood Canal Summerfest
Saturday, Aug 12,10 AM - 5 PM
Belfair State Park, Belfair
Lve music, food, art, vendors and a beer and wine garden — as well as a waterfront classic car show. Vendor information for booths and car spaces at northmasonrotary.org.
Chalk the Walks
Tuesday, Aug 15 Spend 10 minutes outside writing an uplifting message in chalk on your sidewalk, driveway or parking lot. #chalkthewalks
Summer Songwriter Stage, Jesse Rice
August 17, 7 PM
6790 WA 106, Union Tickets $25, VIP $100
Hoodstock
Saturday & Sunday, Aug 19 -20 Union, various locations Hood Canal Music and Arts Festival. Buy a Flag and "float" this waterfront event or attend the many art inspired music and community events hosted along the shore. Details hoodstock.org
11th Annual All County Picnic
Sunday, August 20, 11 - 4:00 PM
HJ Carroll Park's Rotary Pavilion 9884 Highway 19, Chimacum
North Mason School PICNIC
Wednesday, Aug 23, 4 - 7:00 PM
North Mason School Upper Campus Food trucks, musical entertainment, prize drawings and games.
THING Music Festival
August 25-27
200 Battery Way, Port Townsend
An eclectic festival of music and arts that takes place at historic Fort Worden. stgpresents.org
CRUISIN’ THROUGH TIME
Sunday, August 27, 10 AM - 3 PM Railroad Ave, Shelton Mason County Historical Society is collaborating with the Shelton Downtown Merchants present the return of the downtown car show. Enjoy your time at this classic car event in historic downtown, and embrace the nostalgic charm. SheltonDowntownMerchants.com
Pacific NW Endurance Cup Grand Finale
Saturday, September 9 Ridge Motorsports Park 1060 W Eells Hill Rd, Shelton
2nd Annual Schoolhouse Rocks
Saturday, September 9, 3-11:00 PM Evergreen Square, Shelton featuring The Lowdown Drifteres.
Friends Library Book Sale
Tuesday, September 12, 10 AM 23081 WA-3, Belfair, WA 98528
Quilcene Fair & Parade
Saturday, September 16
Quilcene
National Parks Free Day
September 23 – National Public Lands Day
Seabeck BBQ/Open House
September 23, 12 - 4 PM
Seabeck Community Center
Formed over 13,000 years ago, Hood Canal is not a canal, as defined by Captain George Vancouver when he "discovered" it in 1792, but in fact the only fjord in the lower 48 states. In June celebrate this distinction with a unique beach event held in Hoodsport.
There are plenty of fjords in Canada and Alaska, but averaging 150' deep in some spots and as much as 600' in others, Hood Canal is the only saltwater access fjord (carved by a glacier) in the lower 48.
It is fitting therefore that six years ago Jan and Chuck Morris, owners of the Hardware Distillery, decided to coin "Fjordin Crossin" to celebrate the annual release of their Hoodsport distilled aquavit. Playing on a Scandinavian tradition of crossing the equator to "age" the spirit with the rocking of the boat, they reached out to local charter operator and friend, Lee Geist. to cross the "fjord" on the MV Tahuya with the barrel.
The event was eagerly embraced by the community. Over the last half decade it has grown to include a non-motorized paddle across the canal challenge hosted by Hood Canal Events. Participants can bring their own watercraft, rent from Hood Canal
Adventures, who are set up with kayaks at the beach, or, if they have no desire to paddle but want to be part of the action and excitement --book passage on Lady Alderbrook from Alderbrook Resort, to cross Hood Canal alongside the barrel aged aquavit in celebration of a historic Nordic tradition.
On board the Lady Alderbrook Aquavit cocktails are served, and participants take in the day’s festivities from the center of the action. Spectators can purchase advance tickets from the Alderbrook Resort.
On shore there is plenty to do including vendors, oysters, a parade, artisans and children's crafts. Under the pier, the adult Aquavit Garden serves cocktails on the beach as they await the arrival of the tide which will eventually send them to higher ground and move the events into the lively main street of Hoodsport.
11:00 AM: Food, drink, vendors and Paddle the Canal Challenge registration OPEN.
11:30 AM: Lady Alderbrook departs Alderbrook Resort & Spa's dock.
12:45 PM: STREET PARADE from Hardware Distillery to dock led by Scandinavian fiddle/ accordion musicians and all who want to join. Barrel of aged Dill Aquavit loaded on boat
1:00 PM: Crossing begins. Good luck Paddle the Canal Challenge participants!
2:00 PM: Award ceremony and prizes
3:00 PM: After party in Hoodsport. Visit the shops, distillery and brewery. Live music & oysters with Danish dill root and Havarti cheese topping at the Fjord Oyster Bank.
Also at the Grotto, Potlatch Brewing will be serving a Scandinavian Farm House Ale, using an old Scandinavian brewer’s recipe and Kviek, “kweek,” a specialty Scandinavian yeast.
Along with other Scandinavian delights, Chef Patchen’s fire pork sandwiches are paired with Scandinavian potato salad and herring, and mushrooms with lingonberry. New this year, check out Hri's Fika Bar serving Norwegian midday snacks and treats.
The parking lot at the Hood Canal School District at the corner of Hwy 106 and Hwy 101 has been reserved for transportation to the event. A small school bus will run continuously between the school and Hoodsport. The shuttle is free.
The activities at the Port will end at 3 PM, and move to Hoodsport to support the local businesses. Visit the local shops and restaurants.
The Fjord Oyster Bank will be hosting live music outdoors and Scandinavian heritage culinary creations created by Chef Xinh Dwelley. The Hardware Distillery will be hosting their open house to celebrate the Aquavit Launch while the Potlatch Brewing Company will have their Fjordin Crossin beer available. For details on the event updates visit explorehoodcanal.com/fjordin.
I have some many emotions as I write this. It is almost exactly a year from when I thought I had done my last broadcast on KMAS. It was May 31, 2022 when I started to work with Tracing The Fjord. This past year I have been able to integrate conversation craft and video storytelling as we shine the light on interesting people and places in our area.
A year later, I’m about to take those new skills and flip on the microphone again, having the privilege of talking with you on KMAS. The feedback we’ve received since the announcement is overwhelming. It’s an honor to be involved. We are going to work hard to live up to the highest expectations.
The station is still finalizing details as we go to print with the summer issue of the Fjord, but we can share that KMAS will return to full service radio with news, community updates, and a mix of some of the best music ever made. We will keep several shows, the Mariners and Seahawks will stay, and we may get some local sports.
I'm working to create a local music show and we're designing a Mason County outdoor living show. I will be back on the air in the mornings with news and interviews and music. I’d love for you to join me. I can’t wait to catch you up on all that’s been going on!
If you have news tips, email jeff@kmas. com, or leave a message at 360-426-1030, which I may play on the air; or write PO 622, Shelton WA, 98584. You can also support us by advertising—benefiting your local radio station and your business or organization. Another way to support is by listening, telling everyone you know and helping us spread the word.
Talk Soon!
-Jeff Slakey jeff@kmas.com• 360-426-1030
It’s that time of year: many Puget Sound marine areas open for recreational spot shrimp fishing. Hood Canal will open May 26. All shrimp can be kept as part of the daily limit.
Since only larger-mesh (1-inch) traps are allowed during the this season, most harvest will be spot shrimp. Also known as prawns, spot shrimp are the largest shrimp in Puget Sound and may grow up to 9 inches in length
Marine Area 9 (Edmonds, Port Townsend Bay, Admiralty Inlet): Open on May 25 from 9 AM to 1 PM only.
Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal Shrimp District): Open on May 26, June 9, June 11, June 24, and June 28 from 9 AM to 1 PM only.
Marine Area 13 (South Puget Sound, Carr Inlet): Closed for spot shrimp harvest again this season due to continued low abundance.
Additional dates and times may be announced if enough quota remains after the initial fishing days listed.
In all areas of Puget Sound, the daily limit per fisher is 80 spot shrimp with a daily limit of 10 lbs (whole shrimp). Shrimpers who retain only spot shrimp may remove and discard heads before returning to shore. Shrimpers retaining any shrimp species other than spot shrimp must continue to retain the heads until finished and on shore to verify compliance with the 10-pound daily limit.
A valid 2023-24 combination, shellfish, Fish Washington, or Get Outdoors license is required to participate in the fishery. More information on recreational shrimp seasons, and a description of the marine areas, is available on WDFW's recreational shrimp fishing website, wdfw.wa.gov.
360.898.2481 | hcc.net Internet.
Hood Canal Communications believes everyone should have fast reliable internet and participates in the Affordable Connectivity Program. ACP is a federal government program providing qualifying households a discount of up to $30, $75 on tribal lands, off their monthly internet service.
To learn more and apply visit hcc.net/acp
This summer scan the ocean highways because after a threeyear COVID hiatus the Canoe Journeys are finally making their return. At Alki Beach Park just outside of Seattle on July 30th, the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe is expecting to welcome the landings of indigenous canoes and paddlers from all over Puget Sound (including the Skokomish and Squaxin of Mason County), Washington State, Oregon, Canada, Alaska, and more exotic far-flung places such as Peru and New Zealand. All united by the canoe and the revitalization of canoe culture.
The Paddle to Muckleshoot: Honoring our Warriors Past and Present, is a continuation of the annual Canoe Journeys. The inspiration for the Canoe Journeys stems from across the border in Canada with the Heiltsuk canoeist, Frank Brown, and several paddlers from Bella Bella on the Central Coast of British Columbia when they paddled to Vancouver’s Expo celebrations in 1986— marking one of the first long distance, open water, dugout canoe journeys in recent times. This was followed by a series of “paddles,” most importantly
the 1989 Paddle to Seattle. Elder Emmett Oliver had secured funding and support for several tribes to carve their own canoes for this maritime celebration of Washington’s centenary, and he invited tribes from across the border to fill the numbers. The Governor of Washington was purportedly not in support of the international canoeists, but the flotilla served to assert indigenous sovereignty in the celebrations and sparked the Native American resurgence in interest in canoe culture.
At the 1989 Paddle to Seattle, Frank Brown invited all canoe nations to journey to Bella Bella in four years’ time, beginning the Qatuwus Festival. Qatuwas translates as “people gathered together in one place.” In 1993, the Heiltsuk Nation hosted 23 canoes from along the coast, with close to 2000 people attending the week-long celebrations in Bella Bella. The following year, the 1994 Tribal Journey paddle started in Wuikinuxv Traditional territory from, Oweekeno near Rivers Inlet, B.C., paddling to Victoria, B.C. for the commencement of the Commonwealth Games. Over the years, the Canoe Journeys has had host nations in both Canada and the United States and participating canoes from across the globe including the Maori of New Zealand, the Ainu of Japan, Alutes from the Aleutian Islands, the Crees and the Metis from the boreal forests and plains.
The Qatuwus Festival celebrated its twentieth anniversary in 2009, when the Suquamish Tribe hosted 84 canoes and over 6000 guests.
Some of the more far-flung participant paddlers may set out a month or more before event, to make time for visiting other nations along their oceangoing route. Many Tribes have Canoe Families that consist of the paddlers, steersman, and skippers. Since open ocean paddling can be very dangerous many canoes are accompanied by a motorboat for safety. Communities raise money for these canoe families throughout the winter to assist with the journey’s expenses.
Many paddlers travel in the large, traditional dugout canoes typically carved of a single cedar log. There are several varieties of these traditional
canoes but the two most typically seen on such a long oceangoing voyage will be the Northern style canoe and the Nuu-chah-nulth style canoe (also known as the Nootka or War Canoe). These two styles are the largest and have high sides that make it safer to travel across a following sea. They have specially designed keels that cut the water smoothly.
The dugout canoe has come to be a symbol of cultural resurgence for the canoe nations along the Pacific coast. Squaxin Island Tribe began carving two 22,000-pound cedar logs from the Wynoochee Valley in 1995. The process brought a revitalization of interest in carving both as an art and as a highly technical craft, accomplished by Head Carver George Krise and volunteers under the guidance of Tulalip Tribal member, Jerry Jones.
Pink Fawn Lily
When not being paddled, these two canoes are housed at the Canoe Shed at Squaxin Island Tribe’s Museum Library and Research Centre, where visitors are welcome to view them. More modern-style fiberglass hybrids are also popular at the Canoe Journeys—but even these styles are often modelled after the traditional lines of the cedar canoes. When the guest canoes arrive in the host’s territory, there is a landing ceremony where the paddlers ask formally in their native language for permission to land on the host’s beach. Upon arrival, there is an exchange of songs, dances, speeches and gifts between the host Tribe and the many guest tribes, which is known as Protocol.
The host takes care of the visiting paddlers providing the feast and space for the week-long festivities. Visitors are welcome to come to this public event, but respectful behavior is expected.
The revitalization of canoe culture does not just mean the reawakening of practice – of carving, of being on the water and paddling, of sharing regalia, songs, and dance, of preparing and eating traditional foods, it is the rebuilding of connections that existed between tribes since time immemorial linked through waterways and the canoe. It is a physical, embodied interaction with the past and the present to forge a culturally dynamic future on the water.
NEW RATES FOR SHELTON FAMILIES
24/7 ACCESS ONLINE
$10 MONTHLY YOUTH PROGRAMS
SHELTONFAMILYYMCA.ORG
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Washington Trails Association (WTA) – a trails nonprofit – are looking for volunteers for a new Ambassador program. Volunteer ambassadors will welcome visitors at boat launches and trailheads on WDFW-managed lands, provide information about the wildlife area, and raise awareness about Recreating Responsibly.
The program kicks off July 1 at six locations across Washington, including Yakima River water access sites, Teanaway Junction and Thorp, in Kittitas County as well as Lewis Butte and Pipestone Canyon in the Methow Wildlife Area in Okanogan County. Ambassadors will be at trailheads every Saturday through Sept. 16, 2023.
“We’re so proud to partner with WTA to engage Washingtonians directly in public land stewardship,” said Cynthia Wilkerson, WDFW lands division manager. “Not only will volunteers help to make WDFW trailheads more welcoming, they’ll also promote safe, meaningful recreation experiences while protecting natural, cultural, and tribal resources.”
The pilot program is part of WDFW’s recently published 10-Year Recreation Strategy for WDFW-managed Lands, which aims to protect natural and cultural resources, improve visitor experiences, and reduce recreation impacts. Interested volunteers should reference WTA’s website for more information, wta.org/get-involved/ outreach/wdfw-ambassadors
For the last several years, the resort’s place on Highway 106 has been the same, but its place in the community as a hub of music and food and drink and friendship, all but ended.
Business partners Cody Davis and Christian and Dani Osgood might seem like an unlikely trio to step in to bring back the magic. The twenty-somethings are real estate entrepreneurs who’ve dealt almost exclusively in multi-family housing, but when the opportunity to buy the waterfront resort arose last year, they didn’t hesitate. And despite being newcomers to the area who all still reside primarily elsewhere, they say their commitment to the resort is also a commitment to the community. They are set to return in grand fashion, hosting the Peace, Love and Union summer songwriter series beginning with Grammy Winner Kristian Bush on July 13.
The idea was birthed when the business partners were told about the availability of a resort property on the Hood Canal.
“Christian is an outdoorsman and loves to fish, so he was sold on the idea before we even saw it,” Cody recalls. “In the photos it seemed like a quintessential Pacific Northwest property, and
One of the Hood Canal’s most iconic locations has not quite been itself lately, but it’s on its way back. And if its new owners have their way, it will be better than ever. Especially in Union, on the southern coast of the fjord, the Robin Hood Village Resort is home to a lot of memories.
then we came to see it, and I thought it was one of the most beautiful properties I’ve ever seen.”
While negotiating and closing the deal last year, the partners studied the colorful history of the property. Originating in 1934 by the hand of Don Beckman, the village concept of the property caught the attention of a film crew, who appreciated Beckman’s vision and his ability to bring it to life. As a result, Beckman was hired to design the movie set for the 1938 Oscar-winning film “The Adventures of Robin Hood,” starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland, inducted into the National Film Registry for its historical and cultural significance.
Subsequent owners included the Nordstrom Family, who continued to own the restaurant and pub into the 1990s before it was unified with the rest of the property. Legend has it Elmer Nordstrom had his first kiss with his eventual bride in the pub when it was a speakeasy in the 1930s. When the most recent owners, Darrin and Tam Barry took it over in the 1990s, it really was a village. Cabin 6 was a hair salon, and Cabin 15 was the liquor store.
When the new owners acquired the property last year, their mysterious identities and intentions were the subject of rumor and theory in the tiny town, the most popular being the rumor that they were cryptocurrency billionaires planning to level the resort and build condos. The rumors were entertaining, they say, but not the least bit true.
After taking ownership of the property, including the Woodcox house next door, the new Robin Hood team has been working on upgrades and renovations. Sadly, there’s one aspect of the Robin Hood they would have liked to restore that’s not likely to come.
“We get asked all the time if we are bringing back the pub and the restaurant,” says Christian. “And unfortunately, it’s not really an option for us.” The previous ownership not only converted the building into a residence but changed its zoning status, he explains, taking that possibility off the table.
“Maybe if we were crypto billionaires, we could make it happen,” Christian jokes. Failing that, though, he says the pub and restaurant have been renovated and made available for rent and are the coolest unit on the property.
The young entrepreneurs light up when they talk of the return of music and community to the Robin Hood. They’re more than aware that the community was devastated by the loss of the pub and restaurant, they’ve been eager to find ways to bring back music.
“With the pub not being an option, we wanted to find another way to bring the resort back as a center of the community and the music scene ,” Christian says. “This summer’s songwriter concert series is the thing to do, and it’s hopefully just the start.”
The meadow area behind the cabins, often used for weddings and receptions, will be the site of the concerts, he says. “It aligns perfectly with our vision for the property, and I can’t wait to fill the place up with smiling people having a good time and enjoying great live music.”
Part of the attraction of being involved in the Peace, Love & Union songwriter series, says Dani, is the connections they get to make in the community. They’ve found kinship with local business owners and artists, and they are looking forward to working with the several
businesses participating in the series and to collaborations and mutually beneficial partnerships in the future. They’re especially fond of Hood Canale, the new wine bar facing them from the other side of Highway 106.
“I can’t say enough positive things about them,” says Christian. “Those guys know how to have an event. It’s a huge amenity for us that they opened up last year. We’ve got the cabins and the hot tubs and the corn hole, and they’ve got the wine and beer. Whatever we do, if there’s an after-party, it’s going to be at Canale!”
Beyond the music, Christian says, they aim to have the resort be a place for community. “We want to change into more of an event space, both for people in Union and from out of town,” he explains, “because that really feels like it’s the most conducive for building and participating in the community.”
So could these investors make more money building a condo complex on the Hood Canal? Maybe, says Cody, but to them, a plan for success is much more than a plan to make money. Support of charitable causes and involvement in the community are part of their business plan and their life plans
“It’s great to advance yourself in business and life by making money and acquiring things,” he says. “But that shouldn’t be your end goal. I mean, we are ambitious, for sure, but part of our ambition is to be a part of a community, and add some richness to people’s lives. Making money and running businesses are important, but when you can share it with people, that’s when it starts to be fun.”
Robin Hood Resort is currently open under the new ownership and management team. The Peace, Love & Union songwriter series is a symbolic re-opening of Robin Hood to the community, beginning with the July 13 presentation of Grammy Winner Kristian Bush in Concert, with special guests Union musical duo 3000 Miles.
For more information about the series, Exit104Records@gmail.com. For more about the resort or to reserve a stay, visit RobinHoodVillageResort.com.
At age 52, singer-songwriter Kristian Bush was in the final stages of reinventing himself. It wasn’t the first time, and it probably won’t be the last. In fact, he is such an expert on resilience and reinvention you would think he could do a Ted Talk on the subject. And you’d be right. You can find it on YouTube.
“I started reinventing myself when I was twelve,” recalls the East Tennessee native and owner of a pair of Grammy Awards and a half dozen CMA awards, who kicks off the Peace, Love & Union Summer Songwriter Series in Union on July 13. He grew up in the Bush family that owned the Bush Brothers Baked Beans company. Every expectation was that he would grow up and help run the family business. Then his grandparents were forced to make a business deal and lost it all.
“They spent the rest of their lives angry and bitter about it,” Kristian recalls. What they lacked, he says, was resiliency - the ability to adapt to their changing reality. “But I was a kid, and kids are resilient. They were bitter, but I didn’t really understand it or care much about it. At twelve, I had lost the job I was literally born to do, but I saw it as an opportunity to be something else. I decided to be a musician.”
And he was a good one. He was in his early 20s when his folk rock duo Billy Pilgrim signed with Atlantic Records. Just months later, some friends of theirs from the same area signed a record deal with the same label. In 1994, both groups released albums.
Billy Pilgrim sold 200,000 records, while their friends Hootie and the Blowfish took over the charts and sold 16 million albums. When they were dropped by their record company a couple years later, it was clear that Billy Pilgrim was not the road to success.
“I knew I was good at writing and producing music,” he says, “and it was a mystery to me why it wasn’t good enough. But I knew I had to keep going, that I was not finished making music, and so I formed Sugarland.”
Reflecting on the uncompromisingly optimistic approach of Sugarland's Kristian Bush
Sugarland’s first and biggest hit was a song called “Baby Girl,” a hopeful, optimistic, almost fairy-tale like song about making it in the music business, delivered in singer Jennifer Nettles’s signature twang, written at a time when success in the music business was the polar opposite of their reality.
“When we wrote that song, no one had ever seen a Sugarland concert or bought a single Sugarland record,” Kristian reflects. “And it was written at a depressing time. My mom had recently died, and the towers had just been hit by planes. But we just decided to write a song about what we wanted to be and wanted to see.”
The song would go on to spend more time on the Billboard Country Charts than any song in history to that point. The duo went on to notch twelve top ten hits, including five Billboard Number Ones.
But eight years after Sugarland exploded onto the scene and became Kristian Bush’s identity, the duo went on an indefinite hiatus. And while he initially thought his success as part of the duo would make for an easy transition as a solo country artist, he was not so fortunate.
“I knew everyone in the business and in country radio, but it was as if they didn’t know who I was with-
out Sugarland,” he says, “I didn’t understand how that could be, but I realized that the Sugarland momentum was not going to transfer to me as a solo artist.”
After more than a quarter century in the music business and an armload of Grammy and CMA hardware earned with Sugarland, Kristian finally found himself recording his first solo album.
And in preparing for that album, Kristian Bush wrote a lot. He wrote nearly 300 songs for the project, a creative burst which he describes as “almost unhealthy, really.” When he started the process of culling the hun-
dreds of songs down to the nineteen that made the cut, he had to dig deep.
“I asked myself what do I want to say and why do I want to say it,” he reflects. “What can my voice deliver to you now [as a solo artist] that previous versions of me couldn’t?”
The result of that inquiry was Southern Gravity, an album that produced the top 20 hit “Trailer Hitch” and which touches frequently on Southern life, including an aspect of Southern culture rarely captured in song.
‘There’s an often overlooked thread in the culture that isn’t talked about very often, but if you live in Tennessee,
there’s a pull to the beach. At the end of the day, for us who live in the South, there comes a season when we must go to the water, and the water will hold us.”
Among the songs that made the cut were the exquisite ballad “House on a Beach,” and “Flip Flops,” a tune about a stumbling, dancing drunk walk home from a bar, a song that Kristian says he couldn’t let go of, even though it didn’t initially get much radio traction.
“I still laugh every time I sing the song, even though I know what’s coming!” he chuckles. “So I thought if this song is bringing me so much joy, I have to keep
sharing it with people.” The desire to keep “Flip Flops” flipping, combined with the fact he’d also fallen in love with a song he’d written called “Bar with a Pool In It,” gave rise to his 2019 EP Summertime Six Pack, half dozen tunes perfect for the salt water playlist, with titles like “Coppertone and Chlorine,” “Everybody Needs Their Beach,” and “Dashboard Hula Girl.” Originally he’d planned to make the summertime six pack an annual release, but the pandemic threw that plan off track. Fortunately, Kristian has learned, sometimes “off track” is exactly where we are supposed to be. After releasing Troubadour, a collection of songs he wrote
for a play of the same name, Kristian released four full albums of new music in a single year ending in early 2023. The project totaling 52 tracks, titled 52, in honor of his 52nd birthday. When you consider the quantity of the music, you conclude that Kristian is one of the most prolific music makers of our time. When you listen to the songs - clever, poignant, universal - you realize he’s among the best. The collection is as fun and uplifting as it is voluminous.
Through all the ups and downs, Kristian Bush’s seemingly uncompromisingly optimistic approach to life and art is one thing that hasn’t changed.
“One of the great joys of being an artist is performing when everyone in the room is feeling the same thing at the same time,” he says. It’s easier to do, he adds, when sadness is the emotion. “Sad songs are easy to come by,” he says, “but I’m the kind of artist that will always attach myself to positivity. And that’s actually a difficult set of songs to write, because most of the time,” he laughs, “you sound like an idiot when you try to write a happy song.”
But when you pull it off and that audience is feeling collective joy rather than misery, “you can take a shared moment to a whole different level.”
Distance: 9.4 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 5050 feet High Point: 5050 feet
Difficulty: moderate Snow free: June to November
Trailhead Pass Needed: None
Notes: open to horses, wilderness rules apply GPS waypoints:N 47 46.892, W 123 03.127
Harrison Lake: N47 45.552 W 123 05.434
Features: Historic shelter, kid-friendly, dog friendly, oldgrowth, rhododendrons, alpine views
Olympic National Forest’s Tunnel Creek Trail lies just a few miles south of the popular Big Quilcene Trail. But unlike the Big Quil which leads to Marmot Pass, a high windswept wildflower-rich gap providing sweeping views—the Tunnel Creek trail travels mainly beneath a thick canopy of primeval forest. Lacking the wow factor of Marmot Pass, Tunnel Creek gets passed over by many a hiker. However, those who take to this trail less taken soon discover; Tunnel Creek offers plenty of delightful spots and some pretty decent views as well. And all without the crowds of Marmot Pass.
"Tunnel Creek offers plenty of delightful spots and some pretty decent views as well. And all without the crowds of Marmot Pass."
The Tunnel Creek Trail immediately enters the 44,258acre Buckhorn Wilderness, the largest roadless area in Olympic National Forest. Much of the wilderness lies within the Olympic rain shadow encompassing some of the driest mountainous terrain in the Olympics. But here at the wilderness’s southern reaches, precipitation increases. And it’s noticeable immediately upon starting up the trail. The surroundings are verdant—draped in mosses and lichens. The trees are grand. And the valley is alive with the sound of cascading water.
Work your way up a tight valley following alongside tumbling South Fork Tunnel Creek through a tunnel of towering old-growth western hemlocks and Douglas-fir. The hike is magical, almost ethereal on a misty morning. And it’s welcoming on a sweltering summer day, as the ancient trees do an excellent job of regulating the temperature, providing some much appreciated air-conditioning.
After 3.3 miles and gaining a modest 1500 feet of elevation, reach the still intact Tunnel Creek Shelter. A remnant from when this trail was much longer (before logging and roads obliterated much of it). In the early days of Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park there were more than 90 trailside shelters in the Olympics. Many were developed through the guidance
of Frederick William Cleator, who became one of the nascent US Forest Service’s first recreational specialists. Along with calling for trails, shelters, and fire lookouts, Cleator also advocated for a large portion of the Olympics to be left as wilderness, free from any developments.
The early shelters were meant to help administer the forest by providing rangers, trail workers and foresters a place to overnight while traversing the vast wild lands of the Olympics. But they were also welcomed by the few backpackers who plodded into the Olympic backcountry at the time. Through the years many of the shelters succumbed to fire, collapse and disrepair. And as recreational use increased and attitudes changed regarding land management, many hikers and land managers began to question the role of these structures in the wilderness. Under new directives many of the shelters were allowed to fall in disuse or were intentionally dismantled.
Many recreationists however continued to argue for the need of these shelters to provide emergency cover for backcountry users caught in severe weather. Many other recreationists including this author have argued to maintain the remaining shelters now numbering only around 20 as historically significant and preserve them as historic structures.
Perhaps use it for a lunch break. Reflect on its long history and the role it has played providing refuge to many a wanderer on a cold and wet day. And help protect it from misuse. Beyond the shelter, the trail crosses via a log bridge the South Fork of Tunnel Creek and then gets down to business. They way now steadily and steeply climbs out of the valley ascending a thickly forested ridge. Eventually reach a small saddle in the ridge harboring two small bodies of water. The first is a small grassy pond known as Karnes Lake. Just beyond and a little higher up at 4.3 miles from the trailhead and at an elevation of 4300 feet is the more appealing Harrison Lake.
You don’t want to call it quits yet however. Conjure up a little more energy and continue hiking, ascending through open forest and over ledge
coming to the 5050-foot ridge crest at 4.7 miles. Now take in an exceptional view of 7,743-foot (third highest peak in the Olympics) Mount Constance’s impressive sheer vertical east face.
You can scramble along the rocky ridge a little higher to better appreciate Constance’s towering presence, less than two miles away to the northwest.
For most hikers this is the turning around spot. But the trail continues from here making an insanely steep drop of more than 4300 feet in 3.6 miles to the Dosewallips River Road. It’s brushy in spots and easy to lose along the ridge. Otherwise it’s in decent shape down steep slopes and through old growth and past a small waterfall at Gamm Creek.
If you can arrange a car shuttle consider hiking out this route. There are some good views down to the Dosewallips River valley and out to Hood Canal during the initial descent if you want to just wander a little way down the trail. Otherwise start heading back to the cool forests of South Fork Tunnel Creek on the much more agreeable trail
back to your start.
Land Agency Contact: Olympic National Forest, Hood Canal Ranger District, Quilcene, (360) 765-2200,fs.usda.gov/olympic
Recommended Guidebook: Day Hiking
Olympic Peninsula 2nd edition (Romano, Mountaineers Books)
Trailhead directions: From Shelton follow US 101 north for 50.5 miles. (From Quilcene, drive US 101 south for 1.5 miles).
Turn left (west) onto Penny Creek Rd. After 1.5 miles bear left onto Big Quilcene River Rd (Forest Rd 27); which eventually becomes paved. At 3.0 miles bear left onto graveled FR 2740 and follow for 6.9 miles
to trailhead.
Trailhead facilities: none The way climbs a little hump before making a gradual descent toward the river. While the surrounding forest can be dark at times, come spring hundreds of trilliums line the way adding whites, pinks, and purples to the emerald landscape.
Lake Limerick golf course is open to the public and the best value in town. We continue making improvement with the course getting better every year!
Hungry? Enjoy the Pro Shop Café for breakfast and lunch with your round of golf. Open Wednesday - Sunday from 7:30 AM to 3 PM.
Men’s and Women’s leagues are open to everyone with an active GHIN. Monday and Thursday for Men’s 9 hole, Tuesday and Sunday for 18 holes. Women play Monday and Wednesday for 9 or 18 holes and Friday for 9 holes.
Soon the Duckabush River’s roar becomes more audible. During the wetter months it is quite loud. You are almost there. The trail makes a short steep drop and emerges along the banks of the Duckabush. A short distance beyond reach the famed fishing spot. Here the river crashes and thunders through a narrow rocky chasm to a deep pool. Frothy gurgling waters crash up against the narrow cleft. Be sure to keep children and dogs nearby while admiring this landmark.
When the sun is shining, its ray reach this spot, providing a little warmth and light and providing a nice contrast to the dark and damp surrounding forest.
The Fundraising Golf Tournament is hosted Friday, July 28, 9:30 AM Shotgun. This will benefit golf course improvements and is open to everyone. The Lake Front Great Hall is now available for weddings, receptions, and business meetings.
The popular Wine and Golf lessons sponsored by Brenda Bakken, real estate agent, and Haigh Veterinary Hospital will once gain be offered for ten weeks this summer. Lessons are offered to men, women and youth.
Chinook salmon, chum salmon, pink salmon, coho salmon, and steelhead trout still ply the Duckabush’s waters. And while their numbers are a fraction of what they were back in Finch’s time, fishing (be sure to check regulations and seasons) is still allowed and can be good on the Duckabush. And perhaps you have a favorite fishing hole on this river or another in the national forest. A secret spot you don’t have to reveal to anyone!
For more information, please call the Lake Limerick Golf Course at 360426-628990 or lakelimerick.com.
Land Agency Contact: Olympic National Forest, Hood Canal Ranger District, Quilcene, (360) 765-2200, www.fs.usda. gov/olympic; and Olympic National Park, Wilderness Information Center, (360)565-3100, nps.gov/olym
Recommended Guidebook: Olympic Peninsula 2nd edition Mountaineers Books)
Recently Verle's Outdoor Recreation hosted a business after hours where they served Olympic Mountain Ice Cream Root Beer floats and a selection of locally made items including chocolates from Northwest Expressions and meats and cheeses from Home Meats. The food and company were great, but also fun was the story told by Verle's son, Arnie, on how the store became to be.
It's all thanks to worms. Lots of them. In 1948 Verle & Bernice Schreiber traveled to Portland to visit friends. Here their friends introduced them to a very healthy population of night crawlers (worms) that could be picked at night from the Colwood Golf Course in Portland. Verle and Bernice loaded up containers of these creepy crawlers and returned to Shelton where news quickly spread that they had the very best worms for fishing. As word spread they realized they needed even more worms and enlisted their Portland friends to send containers full on the bus. The worm business grew.
It wasn't long before Verle's Bait became a trusted mainstay for every outdoor enthusiast in the community. Verle and Bernice converted their garage into a small tackle shop.
To the tackle they added rods and reels, hunting and camping gear, outboard motors and boats. About the same time Verle was ready to retire in 1979, his son Arnie was ready to switch gears and make a change in his life, too. A year later, Arnie officially become the second generation to own and operate Verle's Bait.
With Arnie at the helm, growth and change were the order of the day. By the time the store celebrated its golden anniversary in 1998, a third generation, aboard full-time, and the store had become Verle's Sports Center & Marine. Today, Verle's is bigger and better than ever and shows no signs of slowing down.
Celebrating the 75th anniversary, today Verle's Sports Center & Marine is one of the most respected marine and sporting goods stores in Washington. Through all the growth and change, Arnie is proud to say that there are some things about Verle's that will remain the same – it was, is and always will be a family owned and operated business, now with the next generation in the business with their families. They also still have the best worms.
Verle's is marking their anniversary with a community celebration on June 24. Follow them on Facebook for promotions all year long including 75 cent Fridays, every Friday in 2023 and other promotions. Congratulations, Verle's and the Schreiber family on 75 years!
Bluegrass fans have reason to celebrate and tune their basses! Kristmas Town Kiwanis’ Bluegrass from the Forest is returning once again as an outdoor festival. July 7-9 at the South Mason Youth Soccer Park near Shelton.
With two stages, a beer and wine garden, and food & music vendors near the stages, the festival accommodates plenty of verdant "from the forest" tent and RV sites for festival-goers on site. Available all weekend beginning on Thursday.
Bluegrass from the Forest started eighteen years ago by Kristmas Town Kiwanis to raise funds for a restroom at Callannan Park in Shelton. Over the years proceeds from the Festival have funded countless projects in the area, primarily with the goal to help local youth.
The Chick Rose School of Bluegrass is a special program offered through the Festival weekend for kids who want to play bluegrass music. Founded by Chick Rose, who passed away in 2012, volunteer musicians continue his legacy. The program begins on the Saturday morning of the festival with kids divided into groups according to their musical ability. They are coached by advanced musicians to create a
special short performance on Saturday afternoon on the main stage. There is no additional charge for the kids to be in this program – the goal is to fill the stage with kids and bluegrass music.
The Festival’s program lineup features four concerts (of three bands each) throughout the three days highlighting some of the top talent on the west coast.
The event hosts a multitude of music workshops – Master Workshops, Band Scramble Showcase, banjo contest, open mics, mandolin tasting – as well as a popular country dance. Saturday night features the famous "midnight hot-dog grill!" It's a site to see when all the campfire jamming halts momentarily as the pickers and their families join the performing musicians for a midnight feast in the main tent.
For more information and to purchase tickets visit bluegrassfromtheforest.com or kristmastownkiwanis.org
If you would like to stay at a local hotel or motel, visit ExploreHoodCanal.com for a list of area hotels and AirB&B's.
Dry camping for RVs and tents is available beginning Thursday evening (before the festival). Many people enjoy getting a head start on the pickin’ and grinnin’ that starts up the evening before the festival begins.
Camping (Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun) –$15.00/night (you can also pay for this at the site)
THANK YOU
this event would not be possible without support from our local sponsors. thank you.
Weekend Bluegrass Pass - $45.00
Includes admission to all events (FRI-SUN)
Family Weekend Pass - $90.00
Includes 2 adults and up to 4 kids
Friday Evening - $15.00
Saturday Afternoon - $15.00
Saturday Evening - $15.00
All day Saturday - $25.00
Sunday - $15.00
Early Bird Rates above. Rates increase after June 20. Purchase your tickets online or at the gate.
Saturday night dance - free with any wristband or $15.00 at the door.
Age 13 - 17 - half price (pay at the gate)
Age 12 and under - free with adult
Please note: There is no extra charge for the Chick's Kids Youth Program
Alan Bibey & Grasstown's latest project Hitchhiking to California has topped single and album charts, with the title cut earning a nomination for the 2021 IBMA Song of the Year. Band leader, Alan Bibey, is a multi-award winning and Grammy nominated artist known for his exceptional mandolin mastery.
The Kathy Kallick Band is based along the west coast, but their mixture of original and classic music, mirroring their combination of traditional and contemporary sensibilities, has great appeal everywhere. Kathy Kallick’s exceptional career includes winning a Grammy and two IBMA Awards, receiving a Lifetime Membership from the California Bluegrass Association.
Farmstrong Music is an acoustic quartet that puts singing at the forefront of their sound. A very simple and distinctive instrumentation accompanies the band’s smooth vocal sound and brings the songs they perform to life FarmStrong performs at festivals, community and private concerts, weddings, as well as bars and restaurants.
Heartbreak Pass Band is the best kept secret from the mountains of Idaho. Born out of a love of music, they have performed on most stages east of the Cascade Mountains all the way to Montana. They have opened for Rhonda Vincent and the Rage, The Infamous StringDusters and performed at Wintergrass in Bellevue. Heartbreak Pass will take you on an eclectic musical journey that you are sure to enjoy!
SteelHead Bluegrass Band is a contemporary bluegrass band based in Kitsap County, WA. Their music ranges from sweet love songs to the hard drive and excitement of traditional and contemporary bluegrass, along with a special focus/influence from the music of Chris Stapelton (of The SteelDrivers Band). Strong vocals are the centerpiece of the band, but let’s face it, these folks can pick. You’ll be hard-pressed to keep your foot from tapping and your heart from singing along.
Rusty Hinges Bluegrass Band
Rusty Hinges Bluegrass Band Hailing from across the Evergreen State of Washington, Rusty Hinges Bluegrass Band plays classic and contemporary bluegrass music combined with good natured fun and humor.
Runaway Train Bluegrass Band are the host band for Bluegrass from the Forest Festival and they also play an important role in helping to get the festival going every year.
Greg Linder guitar & vocals – Union, WA
Kent Powell bass & vocals – Tacoma, WA
John White mandolin & vocals – Olympia, WA
Clayton Hess, banjo – Woodinville, WA
The Bar-K Buckaroos is the Host Band for the Saturday Night Country Dance. The Bar-K Buckaroos play traditional western swing dance music in the style of Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys. They bring their love of Bluegrass, Country and Swing, Jazz, Blues and Raggae’ to form a great evening of western swing and 2040’s era swing music.
Friday, July 7 • 2023
7:00 Farmstrong
8:00 Runaway Train
9:00 Alan Bibey and Grasstowne
Saturday, July 8 • 2023
10 AM Workshops begin
2:00 Runaway Train
3:00 Steelhead
4:00 Alan Bibey and Grasstowne
7:00 Steelhead
8:00 Heartbreak Pass
9:00 Kathy Kallick Band
10:00 country dance with Bar K Buckaroos
12:00 midnight hotdogs!
Sunday, July 9 • 2023
10 AM Workshops begin
12:00 Heartbreak Pass
1:00 The Rusty Hinges
2:00 The Kathy Kallick Band
2:55 All Star Grand Finale
Visit bluegrassfromtheforest.com for band schedule
NATIVE LITTLENECK CLAM
Up to 3.5” with rounded shell displaying concentric rings and radiating ridge lines, cream, grey, brown, or mottled. White inside shell; found at 6-10” deep in gravel, mud, mid-tide level.
Up to 2.5”, oblong shell, Color can vary—typically gray,brown, or mottled and often times with what appears to be hand painted designs; some purple on the inside shell; found at 2-4” in gravel, mud, sand, typically above the half-tide level.
BUTTER CLAM
Up to 5”, shell with concentric rings (no radiating ridge lines), Yellow to gray/white colored; found at 1-1.5’ in sand, gravel, or cobble; lower intertidal or shallow subtidal zone. Butter clams retain marine biotoxins longer than other clams.
COCKLE CLAM
Up to 5” with round shell; prominent evenly-spaced radiating ridges fanning from hinge; mottled, light brown color; found at 1-2” in sand, mud in intertidal or subtidal zone.
Up to 12”, white/gray oblong shell with irregular, wavy edges; found in intertidal zone; tumbled (farmed) Pacifics have cupped shape with fragile shells.
Up to 3”, rounded shell, white to purplish black and may be striped with yellow or brown; oyster’s flesh is a light olive green with a metallic flavor. Native oyster to the area and currently protected in wild habitats.
Blue Mussel (native) up to 3”, California Mussel (native) up to 6”, Mediterranean non-native) up to 5”. Oblong shell, blueblack or brown, attaches to rocks, pilings, boats, gravel, or other hard surfaces in the intertidal zone with bissel threads.
Up to 10”, 2.5 – 10 lbs. Gaping oblong shell with concentric rings; white shell with flaky brown skin; siphon and mantle are too large to withdraw; found at depth of 2-3’ in mud, sand, gravel in the subtidal zone (extreme low tides).
Mason County’s saltwater bays and inlets along Hood Canal and South Puget Sound are renown for some of the tastiest and freshest bivalves in the Northwest. Visit for the pristine waters, open wilderness and public beaches stocked annually for families to enjoy!
LILLIWAUP STATE PARK
Full off on Hwy 101, stairway to beach at north opening of Lilliwaup Bay. Walk north or south when tide is out. Oysters and Clams. Eagles and osprey. Overnight RV camping permitted; no restrooms.
TAYLOR SHELLFISH
130 SE Lynch Rd Shelton (360) 432-3300
Taylor’s product line includes worldwide export of geoduck, clams, mussels and oysters. Headquartered in Kamilche, retail store is open daily. taylorshellfish.com
HOODSPORT
Public boat dock with beach access. Starfish and crabs at low tide. Closed to shellfish gathering. Picnic tables & restrooms,nearby dining, grocery and shopping.
POTLATCH BEACH PARK
Longest stretch of public beach, popular for swimming, kayaking, and picnics. Camping & restrooms.
OYSTERFEST
Traditionally held in October at Shelton Airport, the two day festival features seafood delicacies prepared by local non-profits as well as the Northwest Oyster Shucking Championship & live music.
WALKER PARK
Beach access, playground, restrooms, picnic shelter basketball court. Olympic Hwy to Arcadia Rd, from Rd take Left on Walker Park Rd, Park is on right. No shellfish harvest. No passes required.
OYSTER BAY
Easy beach access on marshy estuary. Popular for bird watching and salmon observing/fishing. Pullout on Hwy 101 near Mile Marker 356; near KENNEDY CREEK INTERPRETATIVE TRAIL.
CREEK
when tide is out, obey Excellent oyster beach. swimming in summer. from Eagle Creek Saloon.
35846 US-101, Lilliwaup
5th generation farm serves oysters prepared to order with an ever changing menu of seasonal local ingredients. Retail store and farm dining. hamahamaoyster.com
DEWATTO BAY
Small beach with dramatic view of the Olympics. Lots of ripe berries in late summer. From Belfair: take the Belfair-Tahuya Road to Dewatto Rd. Continue four miles to Dewatto. Parking limited.
BELFAIR STATE PARK
Nice beaches for walking and exploring with summer water temperatures surprisingly warm. Restrooms, camping and picnic facilities.
CHECK: Health closures and advisories: doh.wa.gov/shellfishsafety
Harvesting closures: wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfishing-regulation
Signs on the beach: Follow posted warnings and respect private property.
CHILL: Harvest shellfish on the outgoing tide and put on ice as soon as possible to prevent bacterial growth. Keep them cold until ready to eat. Cover in fridge with a wet cloth to prevent drying out.
COOK: Cook shellfish in summer months when Vibrio illnesses can occur. To kill Vibrio bacteria cook shellfish to 145° F for at least 15 seconds, cooking does not destroy biotoxins.
Do not harvest in areas with pollution closures. Ask your doctor before eating raw shellfish if you have any concerns about allergies, are taking medications, or have a weakened immune system (such as cancer, liver disease, or HIV). Shellfish are a great and healthy food. Avoid illness by following the 3 C’s above and enjoy!
NORTH BAY
ALLYN DAYS
MENARD’S LANDING
Expansive beach (at low tide), picnic area, and views of the Olympics.
RENDSLAND CREEK, DNR owned clams and oysters open all year.
ALLYN
Gazebo, garden, play area, pier, restrooms and beach access with boat launch.
TWANOH STATE PARK
Excellent camping, swimming, kayaking, picnic sites, and shellfish harvesting.
(360) 898-3500
HUNTER FARMS
921 WA-106, Union | (360) 426-2222
Direct farm to market retail includes Hood Canal oysters at the general store located on the farm.
A 106-acre marine camping park reachable only by boat. Covered with old-growth forests and saltwater marshes, the park features a beach oneand-a-half miles long. Access by boat only.
CHELSEA FARMS OYSTER BAR
222 CAPITOL WAY N, OLYMPIA | (360) 915-7784
Eld & Totten Inlet, South Puget Sound
Chelsea Farm have made a priority of farming the native Olympia oyster that was on it’s way to extinction. Visit their oyster bar in Olympia for local seafood experience! chelseafarms.net
Community park offers beach access, a picnic area and portable restroom and is very popular with kayakers, fishermen and local residents. Located on SR-3 at the south end of Allyn. The parking area is open only during the shellfish season.
JULY 15-17 | Allyn, WA
Enjoy vendors, wine and beer garden, and live music - one day revised event.
allyntown.com
Here are a few locations that serve Hood Canal & South Puget Sound seafood on their menus.
Bistro at Lakeland Village
470 E Country Club Dr, Allyn (360) 277-4137
Boat House Restaurant
18340 E WA 3, Allyn (360) 275-2954
Burger Claim & More 24171 WA 3, Belfair (360) 277-5141
The Fjord Oyster Bank
24341 N US Hwy 101, Hoodsport (360) 877-2102
Hama Hama Oyster Saloon
35846 US-101, Lilliwaup (360) 877-5811
Hook & Fork 5101 E State Route 106, Union (360) 898-3500
Model T Pub & Eatery 24281 N US 101, Hoodsport (360) 877-9883
Restaurant at Alderbrook 10 E Alderbrook Dr, Union (360) 898-2200
Smoking Mo’s
233 S. 1st St, Shelton (360) 462-0163
Spencer Lake Bar & Grill 1180 E Pickering Rd, Shelton (360) 426-2505
Squaxin Island Seafood Bar
91 West State Route 108, Shelton (360) 432-7120
Taylor Station 62 SE Lynch Rd, Shelton (360) 426-8501
Tides Family Restaurant
27061 US-101, Hoodsport (360) 877-8921
The 6th Annual Hoodstock Music and Arts Festival is set to take place on August 19 and 20 in Union, WA, and festival-goers are in for a treat as the 2-day event showcases some of the most talented musicians and artists in the community. The main stage concert takes place on Saturday, August 19 from 11:30 AM to 6 PM on the water. This unique aspect of the festival means that attendees will need to be "floating" to view the main stage, making for a truly one-of-a-kind experience. For those who don't have their own watercraft, there are four separate cruises available on the Lady Alderbrook. This allows everyone the opportunity to be a part of the festival and experience the magic of Hoodstock.
The Festival isn’t just for those who love being on the water. For land-loving supporters, there will be live music and vendors/artists at the Union City Market Saturday, August 19 and Sunday, August 20. The energy and excitement will spill onshore as attendees browse local artisan booths and enjoy live music.
The festival is more than just music – it’s a celebration of community, giving back, and preserving a natural treasure – Hood Canal. The festival's tagline, "Creativity, Expression, and Community," embodies this spirit that aims to bring together the vast musical talent of the area and support local non-profits with a focus on arts education and environmental sustainability. Festival organizers give back by funding youth environmental education at the Hood Canal Salmon Center.
“I am thrilled for HCSEG to have this on-going partnership with Hoodstock. This festival is a great opportunity to not only support and celebrate local artists and musicians in the area, but also contribute to local non-profits passionate about creating a vibrant musical community and healthy Hood Canal watershed," said Mendy Harlow, Executive Director.
In addition, the festival has named the North Mason and Hood Canal School music programs as beneficiaries, further emphasizing its dedication to community and education. This year, Hoodstock is excited to announce a new partnership with Matthew Melendez from the Great Bend Center for Music. Melendez will be hosting a youth music camp at the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group’s Salmon Center during the week of Hoodstock, giving kids the opportunity to learn and perform music with
experienced musicians in the community. The kids attending the camp will perform on the Union City Market Music Stage at 11:30 AM on Saturday, August 19, kicking off the festival's events.
"I think my favorite thing about this collaboration is that it connects the local kids to their community's historic arts legacy," said Melendez.
"In addition to a week of ear-tickling, toe-tapping music instruction to prepare for an existing festival-opening performance, the kids participating
Whatever floats your boat. HOODSTOCK 2023 • August 19-20
in the Hoodstock Youth Music Camp will also be continuing Union's long tradition of music as an expression of community - as a part of our identity. I think it will deepen the experience in so many ways."
The Festival’s commitment to community and sustainability is also evident in its vendors and artists. The festival features a diverse range of vendors selling handmade goods and crafts. Artists from the community will also showcase their talents and sell their work at the Union City Market, giving festival-goers a chance to support local businesses and artists.
Hoodstock is truly an event that brings together local musicians, artists and supporters in a celebration of music, art and education. The festivals commitment to supporting local environmental and arts education programs makes it an important contributor to Mason County and it’s growth over the years is a testament to the passion and dedication of its organizers and supporters. If you’re looking for a fun and community-oriented event to attend this summer, be sure to mark your calendars for the 2023 Hoodstock Music and Arts Festival August 19 – 20 in Union WA.
Visit the Hoodstock website at hoodstock.org for more information and follow on their Facebook page.
SAVE THE DATE: MOON-FEST
SEPT 8-9
QUILCENE, WA
Moon-Fest.com
FACEBOOK: moonfest or classicmoonfest
If you are looking for fewer pictures and more words, The Vault has plenty of local novels to give you literary escape. Ken Kesey, Tom Robins and Jack Hodgins secured the Pacific Northwest as a mecca of Magic Realism and Port Townsend’s own Jack Caddy, (and winner of Nebula, Phillip K. Dick, World Fantasy, and the Bram Stoker awards!) just provides more concretion to that fact. (2001) is an uncanny novel set in a small fictional town on the Hood Canal. With revenge, murder cover-ups and a supernatural force in the canal that demands retribution – this book is magic realism with a dash of horror.
Jim Lynch’s 2006 story about the difficulties of growing up geek and the solace of the ever-changing tidal flats. Packed with detailed descriptions of sea life as important metaphor to the changes in the life of the protagonist, (Miles O'Malley) this book is one of those gems that you want to highlight and save.
If mystery is more your thing, Olsen’s new thriller Lying Next To Me (2023) is sure to please. Set on the Hood Canal, there are elements of Flynn’s Gone Girl (2012) as a husband witnesses the abduction of his wife and their fragile marriage and private life are put under investigation.
The Mason County Historical Museum, in Downtown Shelton, Washington, presents an exhibit highlighting the museum’s collection of vintage fashion. The roughly one hundred items on exhibit represent a 50-year time period, from the 1860s to the 1930s, and include clothing and accessories for women, men, and children. This exhibit will run through September 2023. The Museum is located at 427 West Railroad Avenue in Shelton, WA. Admission is FREE.
Hood Canal Communications believes everyone should have fast reliable internet and participates in the Affordable Connectivity Program. ACP is a federal government program providing qualifying households a discount of up to $30, $75 on tribal lands, off their monthly internet service.
To learn more and apply visit hcc.net/acp
Next up, no self-respecting Pacific Northwest bookstore would be complete without a copy of the iconic and enduring memoir of M. Wylie Blanchet, The Curve of Time (1962). Canadian travel writer Blanchet presents vignettes of summertime boating excursions with her five children (and sometimes dog) up the Inside Passage of British Columbia during the 1920s and 1930s. Not simply a travelogue, Blanchet describes the book as "neither a story nor a log; it is just an account of many long sunny summer months, during many years when the children were young and old enough to take on camping holidays up the coast of British Columbia.” As a single mother widowed in 1926 when her husband was mysteriously lost at sea, the adventures in this book are a remarkable testament to overcoming grief. However, grief is not what colors the passages – instead wonder in the natural beauty of the coast is the undercurrent that drives the writing. This book is lauded as a great literary maritime masterpiece, and it is perfect to be read when you are on your own Northwest adventure.
On May 7, Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge, a popular visitor center destination in Olympic National Park that had been undergoing renovation burned to the ground.
Above is only a taste of the books loved at the Vault. Oh yes, they have quite a TASTE for seafood cookbooks and oyster manuals too at the Vault – but those did not make this review. Additionally, beautiful children’s books (Maurice Sendak anyone?) and philosophies are also available – but you’ll have to come look for yourself! Embrace the rain and enjoy a book.
Nobody was in the structure at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported. The Day Lodge, located in the most easily accessed high alpine area of the park, had been under construction since April 3 and was closed to visitors. The Hurricane Ridge area had been on track to reopen later this month. Park officials say the structure appears to be a complete loss. The building was built in the 1950s and housed interpretive exhibits upstairs and a gift shop and small café run by Aramark, a park concessioner. Reports are that most of the interpretive displays and the scale 3D carved map had been removed prior to construction so are still safely stored.
Queen Brooke invites future (and present) princesses and princes to join her in this lovely event at the historic Colonial House in Shelton, July 9. As the first family home of pioneer timber family, the Reeds, the Colonial house and its gardens are a majestic tribute to our forest heritage and organizers appreciate our gracious hosts, Green Diamond.
Don your finest gowns and hurry to reserve your spots at this extravagant event. Tea, juice, sandwiches (without the crusts, of course!) and cakes will be served in the garden.
Each young princess or prince receives autograph cards from the royalty, a tiara or crown, and other goodies to mark this event to celebrate our Forest Festival Royalty.
DNR/Wildfire Ready Neighbors, Builder’s First Source, Shelton Family YMCA, Mason Health
Additional support from Shelton Fred Meyer.
Event updates: masoncountyforestfestival.com
Reserve a Table!
Hosted Sunday, July 9, 11:00 AM reserve tickets online at masoncountyforestfestival.com.
Cost is $40/adult | $20/ child (ages 2-12)
THINGS TO DO FALLS TO FISHING
45
MAP/LODGING SHELTON & KAMILCHE
48
Situated between the Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains in Mason County, is Hood Canal. A place filled with world-class activities, wild-caught fare, lively events, and plenty of places to hide away from it all when you just want the world to yourself.
Hood Canal is Washington’s wild side. And it’s here for you, when you’re ready to discover yours.
MAP/LODGING HOOD CANAL AREA
49-55
Whether you seek tide-ripped saltwater passages, challenging whitewater, or lakes big and small, Hood Canal is a kayaker, canoer, or paddleboarder’s ideal destination.
A rich paddling community supports any adventurer’s vision; rental packages and lesson opportunities for the budding kayaker or paddleboarder are not in short supply. Get out on the water and enjoy a fresh perspective of the canal with colossal peaks towering overhead.
Like a giant fish hook weaving beneath the Olympics with a web of inlets, Hood Canal is poised to catch your imagination and reel in memories for years to come. This majestic saltwater fjord hosts unparalleled shellfish, shrimp, crab, and salmon and is renown as a diving mecca with its glacial formation causing underwater biomes that appear nowhere else. Venture away from the canal to Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest for hiking and thrilling vistas. Choose from hundreds of easy access freshwater lakes or revel in waterfall views including the iconic High Steel Bridge. Ablaze with wildflowers in the spring, hidden swimming holes in the summer, a chance to see spawning salmon in the fall, and snow-capped peaks in the winter, there is never an inopportune time to visit Hood Canal.
Hamma Hamma & Rocky Brook are just two of the many falls on Hood Canal waiting to be explored. Want to plan a waterfall getaway? Visit waterfalltrail.org for 25 unique and special places to visit.
Soaring 420' above the Skokomish River, the High Steel Bridge (1929), is the highest steel truss arch bridge in Washington. You won’t even need to leave the car for this breathtaking view. Follow Skokomish Valley Rd 11 miles from Hwy 101 to reach the bridge.
The Ridge Motorsports Park racing course near Shelton includes a fantastic road course that's geared towards club racers and competitors. Head to the DNR forests for some unmatched off-road trail rides.
World-class hiking trails lace the Olympic Mountain wilderness, leading from mountain stream beds through old growth forest to high-altitude ridge lines with breathtaking views of Hood Canal and beyond.
We love the folks at SKYDIVE KAPOWSIN! Feel the adrenaline pumping rush of free-fall and experience the freedom of the air with highly trained professional instructors. Views of the fjord and the Olympics and a seven minute free fall adrenaline rush from 13,000 feet will definitely change your outlook.
Do a farm-to-table dining loop experiencing some Northwest flavors – including Hama Hama, Hardware Distillery, Stottle, Hood Canal Winery, Olympic Mountain Ice Cream.
From easy day hikes with the family to overnights or “experience needed” excursions – you don’t have to go far for spectacular memories!
May through October experience nature and history pedaling the timber rail on a 2- hour quadricycle excursion.
vancecreekrailriders.com
From open water trolling on the sound to throwing dry flies on small lowland lakes, there are plenty of fishing opportunities in the area. Seek colossal coho in the fall and hungry trout in the spring to see why every season is fishing season in Hood Canal.
Don the helmet and clip into your pedals, for there is no shortage of road or trail from which to experience the beauty and thrill of this landscape
PHOTO: TOBY TAHJA-SYRETT
Award-winning courses with incredible views of the Olympics on lush fairways – Hood Canal and South Puget Sound are ideal destinations.
ALDERBROOK GOLF (360) 898-2560 | Union alderbrookgolf.com
Par 72 course follows natural contours. Restaurant, lounge & proshop onsite.
LAKE CUSHMAN GOLF (360) 877-5505 | Hoodsport lakecushmangolfcourse.com
In the Olympic Mountain forest, this 9-hole course plays a challenging 18 holes.
LAKE LIMERICK GOLF (360) 426-6290 | Shelton lakelimerick.com
The gentle hills make this a challenging round of golf. Restaurant & pro shop.
LAKELAND VILLAGE (360) 275-6100 | Allyn lakelandliving.com
With views of the Olympics and Mount Rainier, the 27-hole course has world class dining.
SALISH CLIFFS GOLF (360) 462-3673 | Kamilche salish-cliffs.com
18-hole par & 72 championship course is adjacent to LITTLE CREEK CASINO RESORT, a full service resort & casino.
SHELTON DISC GOLF
masoncountydiscgolf.com
Different type of golf? 18hole disc golf course located in the watershed at the intersection of Wallace Kneeland Blvd & Shelton Springs Rd.
Explore
Scuba sales, air, training, rentals, and charters available at Hoodsport near renowned destinations like SUND ROCK and OCTOPUS HOLE yssdive.com
With a majestic and varied landscape, Hood Canal is a gorgeous place to come search for the over 250 species that call the Olympic Peninsula home. Chock full of life – birds like bald eagles, rhinoceros aucklets and more on premiere birding trails –this is a birder’s paradise! OLYMPICBIRDTRAIL.ORG
Hood Canal occupies 150 square miles of the Olympic Peninsula and bellies up to the Olympic National Park. It's home to thousands of species of fish and marine mammals and invertebrates like orcas, oysters, and octopus. There's hardly a better way to take it all in than on the water.
SHELTON is the westernmost city on Puget Sound. Featuring a bustling heritage core, its landscape is marked by colossal forests which led to a title of “Christmas Tree Capital of the World.” Dubbed CHRISTMASTOWN, USA, since 1962, Shelton successfully won the Guinness World Record for Most Lit Christmas Trees in 2019.
Explore the Shelton Historical Museum with displays on early life on Puget Sound, Hood Canal, and working in the woods and stick around for the Mason County Forest Festival Paul Bunyan Parade, June 1-4. masoncountyforestfestival.com
ALLYN
Waterfront park features gazebo and lawns, play area, and beach access. NO FEE/PASS
POTLATCH STATE PARK
Longest stretch of PUBLIC BEACH in Mason County with shellfish, kayaking, and Hood Canal water access.
DISCOVER PASS REQUIRED
HUNTER FARMS
Farm Market, seasonal events; Visitor Center
HARSTINE ISLAND TRAIL
300 acres to explore EASY 1.5 mile, beach DISCOVER PASS
SHELTON VISITOR CENTER
TO GO: Red Caboose on Railroad Avenue information, handouts, and maps
ISABELLA LAKE TRAILS
EASY 2.5 mile loop, rolling meadows
TO GO: Hwy 101 exit at SR#3 to Golden Pheasant Rd, right on Delight Park Rd. DISCOVER PASS
TAYLOR SHELLFISH STORE
Fresh seafood, tours available; open to public. Hwy 101 to Taylor Towne Exit.
SQUAXIN ISLAND TRIBE MUSEUM
Stories, photos, art, artifacts dating back over 500 years. TO GO: Hwy 101 to Kamilche exit , follow signs. ADMISSION CHARGE
SCHAFER STATE PARK TRAIL
Trails, interpretive center, swimming, fishing.
TO GO: 12 miles north of Elma on the East Fork of the Satsop River. The park is also accessible via the Brady exit from Hwy 12.
DISCOVER PASS REQUIRED
WALKER PARK Beach access, playground, restrooms, picnic shelter, kayak access. NO FEE/PASS
OYSTER BAY Beach,marshy estuary, for birding, salmon observing or fishing.
TO GO: Parking pullout on Hwy 101, marker 356 /Old Olympic Hwy. NO FEE/PASS
HOPE ISLAND STATE PARK
106 acre park reachable only by water. Old-growth forests, saltwater marshes, fruit trees, beaches, historical buildings, friendly deer. Destination for kayakers and boaters!
TO GO: access by boat, mooring available, beach landing, boats and kayaks can launch at Arcadia Point (0.5 miles). CAMPING FEES
THE KENNEDY CREEK SALMON TRAIL
Chum salmon are on view as they make their way up river
TOPOGRAPHY: flat, viewing platforms, interpretive signs
TO GO: Hwy 101, Old Olympic Hwy; weekends, seasonally. NO FEE/ PASS
Ranger Station is open in summer with information, exhibits, wilderness permits, map sales and wheelchair available. Road open year-round weather permitting. Call (360) 565-3131 NATIONAL PARK PASS
TO GO: HWY 101 to SR#119, follow FS#24 to Staircase Entrance.
RAPIDS LOOP: EASY family friendly 2 mile trail through old growth forest to a bridge over the North Fork Skokomish River; only 200-foot elevation gain. BIG CEDAR, a 0.6 mile spur trail, leads to a fallen cedar while a 0.5 mile section leads to a river viewpoint.
FOUR STREAM: EASY 1.2 mile to Beaver Flat, swampy section of alder/cedar forest. Elevation loss 100 ft.
WAGONWHEEL LAKE: MODERATE TO DIFFICULT climbing 2.9 miles (elevation gain of 3,365 ft).
FLAPJACK LAKES: DIFFICULT climbing 7.8 mile one-way hike (3,115 ft elevation gain).
LOWER LENA LAKE TRAIL
Well maintained popular trail leads to a small lake
MODERATE TO DIFFICULT 3 mile climb,switchbacks
TO GO: Hwy 101 at Hamma Hamma Recreation Area
UPPER LENA LAKE TRAIL
Steep with unstable bed; camping.
MODERATE TO DIFFICULT 4.3 mile climb
TOPOGRAPHY: 3,800 foot gain to sub-alpine lake
TO GO: Same as Lower Lena Lake Trail above.
WILDERNESS PERMIT FOR CAMPING
NW FOREST PASS FOR PARKING
BIG CREEK
Great pack-in picnic destination with pools and footbridges.
MODERATE 4 miles
TO GO: Trailhead at FS#24 and SR#119 junction.
NW FOREST PASS
HAMA HAMA STORE
Beach access & parking, seasonal outdoor Oyster Saloon and fresh seafood market.
EAGLE CREEK
Beach access & parking across from Eagle Creek Saloon. NO FEE/PASS
HAMMA HAMMA
LIVING LEGACY TRAIL
Spectacular views of the Mt. Skokomish and the Brothers ranges; interpretive signage. Trail passes Hamma Hamma Cabin built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (1930s).
EASY TO MODERATE 1.5 mile loop.
TOPOGRAPHY: First 0.25 mile is barrier free along the river; ascends bluff to creek.
TO GO: Hwy 101 to FS#25, 5.5 miles.
WILDERNESS PERMIT REQUIRED FOR CAMPING
DEWATTO BAY Beach with dramatic view of the Olympics; excellent photography destination. Lots of ripe berries in late summer.
TO GO: Belfair-Tahuya Rd to Dewatto Rd, 4 miles.
SERVICES AT PORT OF DEWATTO CAMPGROUND
23,100 acre forest provides open spaces for sightseeing, camping, nature study, fishing, hiking,horse, ATV, ORV, and biking. A “working forest” trail may be closed due to forest management activities.
TOPOGRAPHY deep woods
TO GO: Hwy 300/Belfair
Tahuya Rd, 1.1 mile.
DISCOVER PASS
MENARD’S LANDING
Expansive beach with panoramic views of Olympics. Picnic tables. NO FEE/PASS
HOODSPORT VISITOR CENTER
TO GO: Located just off Hwy 101 in Hoodsport – information, handouts, maps
PASSES FOR PURCHASE
SkokomishValleyRd
VISITOR CENTER/ BELFAIR LICENSING
TO GO: On Hwy 3 in Belfair
PASSES FOR PURCHASE Park/ vehicle/vessel/fishing/hunting northmasonchamber.com
DALBY
WATERWHEEL
TO GO: SR#106
Clamber up the rugged trails, tiptoe through the quiet old growth forest, or careen through the pristine meadows of Olympic National Forest & National Park. Shoulder your pack and experience the sights and sounds of the vast wilderness home to some of the most beautiful flora & fauna in the world. Ablaze with wildflowers in the spring, cool hidden swimming holes in the summer, a chance to see spawning salmon in the fall, and snow capped peaks in the winter, there is never an inopportune time to hike Hood Canal.
HUG THE CURVES
As Hwy 101 navigates the bays of HOOD CANAL, imagine relaxing dockside of a beachside cabin, watching the seals roll off the rocks
CANAL SPIRIT
HOODSPORT WINERY, STOTTLE WINERY, and HARDWARE DISTILLERY offer tastings amongst shopping, dining and the famous Olympic Mountain Ice Cream.
FORAGE DINNER
Come prepared with buckets and boots. Check regs at wdfw.wa.gov before digging – or stop by HAMA HAMA STORE & OYSTER SALOON for freshly prepared seafood.
DIVE DEEPER
Giant octopus, wolf eels and swarms of ancient rock cod add to the wonder of this special place. AIR, GEAR & SCUBA LESSONS, RENTALS & CHARTERS available.
ALLYN & GRAPEVIEW enjoy gorgeous views of the protected harbor waters of Case Inlet. The area features quaint shops, waterfront lodging,
and beach parks.
the Grapeview area hosts the Water and Art Festival, a day-long event featuring entertainment and juried artists.
The largest chainsaw carving outlet, BEAR IN A is a great place to explore this unique art. They also teach chainsaw carving.
The area features quaint shops, a variety of restaurants, and beach parks.
GRAPE VIEWS
Waterfront Grapeview is the location of first winery and vineyards of the Pacific Northwest.
BEACH WALK
There are plenty of great public beaches to explore and launch points for your kayaks.
TAKE A WALK ON BOARDWALK
Hood Canal’s wild 139 acre THELER WETLANDS hosts two miles of trails. 1,700+ feet of floating boardwalk, native plants, and interpretive kiosks to experience wetland wildlife. olympicbirdtrail.org
SALMON STRONG
THE SALMON CENTER provides education and recreation through a series of collaborative activities at their certified organic farm. They also host seasonal events. pnwsalmoncenter.org
HOODSPORT VISITOR CENTER
150 N Lake Cushman Rd, Hoodsport, WA (360) 877-2021 | (800) 576-2021
BELFAIR VISITOR CENTER
30 NE Romance Hill Rd, Belfair, WA (360) 275-4267 | northmasonchamber.com
UNION VISITOR INFORMATION
Located at Hunter Farms, E 1921 SR 106, Union, WA
SHELTON CHAMBER
VISITOR CENTER
215 W. Railroad Ave, Shelton, WA | (360) 426-2021
Open 8 AM - 5 PM | Monday through Friday
MASON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM
427 W. Railroad Ave, Shelton, WA
11 AM - 4 PM | Tuesday through Saturday
23,100 acre TAHUYA STATE FOREST for camping, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, ATV, ORV, and mountain biking. dnr.wa.gov
FJORD WELCOME CENTER
24341 N US Hwy 101, Hoodsport, WA
FREE Conceirge Service: maps, lodging, dining & hikes information (360) 877-2102
RIDE FREE IN MASON COUNTY
From ferries in Seattle to trailheads in Hood Canal, Mason Transit offers free rides – masontransit.org
OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK
nps.gov
With blistering feet and through blistering cold, Anna and Emalee took the final steps to touch the US-Mexico border. One small step for the two women, and the final step of a 3000-mile journey. It was a final step that came five and a half months after the first, taken in the summer of 2019. It was an immense undertaking for the two adventurers, made crazier by the fact that, in their unwillingness to throw aside one passion for another, they combined the long hike through the Rockies on the Continental Divide Trail with a musical tour. Their musical duo, which took its name, “3000 Miles” from the journey, played concerts in “trail towns” in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico, along the way.
During the journey that started at the Canadian border in Montana in Glacier National Park, the duo shared their progress on social media through photos, videos and stories of their adventures. The growing following resulted in more people becoming invested in their wild undertaking, and the two found themselves becoming accidental guides, functioning as stewards and spokespeople on behalf of the wilderness.
They’d often hear people express sentiments like “I could never do what you’re doing,” or “I’d be so scared,” and they’d set out to persuade others that they were underestimating themselves, and that with knowledge, preparation, and proper gear, anyone could be a wilderness adventurer.
As they trekked along, a dream took shape - the dream of doing what they loved for a living.
Nearly four years after completing that journey, Anna Robinson and Emalee Hill are breathing life into the dream. They have embarked on an enterprise, one that enables others to experience the same joy they do in nature, with the benefit of their experience. Added to the expertise of these two adventurers is that of their two new partners, Dan Wingert, a Michigan outdoorsman who came to the Northwest after spending years in Alaska fishing and working at a remote salmon hatchery, and Alexandra Ehrich, who works for a salmon research, restoration and education nonprofit when she’s not painting, mushroom hunting, hiking, or fishing.
The wilderness and adventure company is called HYOH Guiding Co. HYOH is an acronym for “Hike Your Own Hike,” a mantra among long distance hikers. “For us, the phrase is a reminder
to stay present, to find enjoyment and a sense of accomplishment in ourselves while on our own individual journeys,” says Emalee.
“We’ve always felt that was a grounding idea that applies to other aspects of our lives as well,” says Anna. “Even if you’re walking a path that’s been cut by someone else, you are the one walking it now, and your experience is going to be different than others.”
"Our goal is to create an environment where each person can come off of a trip with HYOH feeling grounded,” says Emalee, “and with a sense of confidence in themselves and their abilities.”
The members of the HYOH Team have a shared love for their home town of Union. The tiny unincorporated town near the foothills of the Olympic Mountains and the intersection of the
Hood Canal and the Skokomish River, home to snowbirds and golfers, artists, birders and orca watchers, is now home to the new adventure guiding company.
“I couldn’t imagine starting this business anywhere else,” says Alexandra, the only one of the four who grew up in the town with a population of just over 300. “Union and other Olympic Peninsula communities are magical places. We’re part of a landscape home to incredible wildlife, wild places, and a rich history of explorers and folks who are tied to the land.”
“We love this town,” Anna adds. “One of the bonuses of guiding here is that we are able to end an adventure by taking guests for a celebratory meal or drink at one of many small local businesses, as well as recommend beautiful places for visitors to stay.”
Whether you’re seeking a challenging multi-day backpacking adventure, looking for a unique team building experience, or hoping to collect some great photos and make some life-long memories during a vacation, they can design an outdoor adventure on the Olympic Peninsula customized for you.
HYOH has something for everyone, regardless of level of skill and experience. As an "all inclusive experience, HYOH secures permits, provides gear and transportation to the trail heads, and prepares custom meals.
And importantly, Emalee says, they do it safely and responsibly. HYOH guides have completed intensive wilderness training courses and carry medical kits as well as satellite devices on trips with guests. They are dedicated to protecting the environment in which they guide. The team is ready to educate on the best ways to “Leave No Trace.”
Does the HYOH team plan to revisit its origins with hiking and original music? At least occasionally, says Anna. She and Emalee both continue to perform, separately and together, including a planned performance by 3000 Miles on July 13, when they will open for Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Kristian Bush to kick off the Peace, Love & Union Summer Songwriter Series in Union. Anna says that despite starting a new business while she continues to work part of the year as a salmon habitat researcher in Alaska, she still finds time to write new music. In July, she and Emalee will be leading a hike that features a remote concert where they will share the “stage” with singer-songwriters participating in the songwriter series. “It’s all about hiking your own hike,” Anna says. “And music has been part of our journey from the beginning.” Learn more about HYOH Guiding Co. at www.explorehyoh.com
Providing low-cost, reliable power is our priority
Spring and summer nights on the Olympic Peninsula are dominated by the siren calls of the male Pacific Chorus Frog (Pseudacris regilla). Also known as the Pacific Tree Frog, these little guys (they average from 1-2 inches long) pack a big musical punch with calls that can be as loud as 87 decibel levels (most human conversation is 50 dBs and a police siren is typically 100 dBs – and your fancy Apple watch warns you if you exposed to sounds over 80 dBs).
According to the Burke Museum’s Herpetology webpage, varieties of frogs have specially developed eardrums which are connected to the lungs that work to equalize the pressure between the outer and inner surface of the eardrum thereby protecting it from the otherwise deafening mating calls.
Many of these species are crepuscular (most active at dawn and dusk) or nocturnal (active at night), making observation difficult. Although the Northern Rubber Boa (Charina bottae) is the most northerly residing boa, its crepuscular hunting habits make this snake far less known than the Common Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis). This species is found throughout the Pacific Northwest and since it is not very heat tolerant, they love the damp forests of the Olympics lurking under rocks and logs during the day and hunting at night. This species has special cold weather adaptations that allow it to keep their brain at a healthy warm temperature, while the rest of their body can reach temperatures less than 44°F. This boa at 21 to 26 inches is significantly smaller than their cousin the Boa Constrictor of South America (3 to 13 feet), but it also kills prey (mice and voles) by constriction.
He’s happy with his amphibious life & will not turn into a prince for you. You may also get misery from the encounter. Bacteria are happy existing on frogs and many toads and salamanders release toxins to protect themselves from predators (or eager humans that pick them up).
The Pacific Northwest is home to one of the largest terrestrial salamanders in North America – the Pacific Giant Salamander (Dicamptodon tenebrosus) Up to 13 inches they are typically found in southwestern Washington. Cope’s Giant Salamander (Dicamptodon copei), measuring up to 8 inches, is the giant of the Olympic Peninsula. Favoring cold mountain waters, this salamander often does not ever metamorphize into its terrestrial form preferring to live out its days with feathery gills in a larval form bound to the aquatic realm. Interestingly, the individuals do reach sexual maturity, but physically they resemble the larval stage of other salamanders. Only a few specimens of the physically mature salamander of this species have ever been found. Why these salamanders stay in this child-like-state is still poorly understood.
If you find an amphibian and want to touch it, please be mindful that frogs and salamanders breathe through their skins and lotions and chemicals on your hands can be harmful to them.
If you would like to know more about the reptiles and amphibians of the Pacific Northwest, there are many helpful guidebooks and websites. Amphibians of the Pacific Northwest (2016) and Amphibians of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia: A Field Identification Guide (2020) both provide a good grounding in the subject.
#10. TAKE A FLIGHT
Soar high over the Olympics and get a peek at the Trraveler up close and personal.
Just enjoying one of the many parks and beaches or watching the wildlife in the water is enough for most visiting Hood Canal. But just in case you need a few ideas here's a few MORE to inspire you!
#1. HIT THE BEACH
Hood Canal to Hope Island, it’s surprising how many beach access options there are. Pack a picnic, you’ll want to explore a while.
#2. TAKE A HIKE
From a quiet city trail behind Shelton, forest walk at Twanoh State Park Trail (2.3 miles EASY) or Theler Wildlife Refuge (3.5 miles) where boardwalks over wetlands reveal flora and fauna. Check out Craig's story on page 40 for more inspiration.
#3. CATCH A DRIFT
Area lakes are stocked with trout and steelhead each Spring. Stop in at Verles for all the tips and tools. Fishing is the universal excuse to relax. Salmon season starts on Hood Canal and South Puget Sound in July.
#4. DIVE IN THE CANAL
Giant octopi, friendly & curious wolf eels, and swarms of ancient rock cod add to the wonder of scuba adventures in Hood Canal. Scuba lessons, rentals (including air), and charters are available. YSS diving in Hoodsport offers a whole series of certifications to "get your feet wet."
#5. TAKE THE LEAP
Views of the fjord and the Olympics and a seven minute free fall from 13,000 feet will change your perspective. Call Kapowsin Air Sports (360) 432-8000.
#6. FLY A KITE
Pick an afternoon low tide on Hood Canal and take advantage of the winds. The Port of Shelton (Hwy 101) has plenty of open fields.
#7. DIP YOUR PADDLE
Hood Canal Adventure has kayaks for rent by the hour, day or week, and they'll deliver to your home or rental!
#8. LOW TIDE WONDERS
The Canal and South Puget Sound expose amazing creature wonders at low tide.Remember to replace your rocks carefully after flipping — that’s someone’s home!
#9. FIND A FALL
The waterfalls are delightful year round —and it’s fun to swim in the pools in warmer weather. Some waterfalls and rivers can be very dangerous with undertows; be aware of hazards and watch children or inexperienced swimmers.
#11. GET A NEW VIEW
Soaring 420 feet above the Skokomish River, the High Steel Bridge (1929) is the highest steel truss arch in WA. Follow Skokomish Valley Rd from U.S. 101 to bridge.
#12. SLURP!
Hama Hama Oyster Co., North of Lilliwaup and Fjord Oyster Bank in Hoodsport both offer fresh local oysters and clams year round. Stop in and try them raw or pick up a few dozen to grill at home!
#13.
Take the boat out and explore the islands and passages from Case Inlet on South Puget Sound
#14. PICK A PEAK
The Olympic National Forest and Park offer great climbing for all skill levels. Up for a challenge? Try the fulfilling Wagonwheel hike.
#15. LAKE VIEWS
How about checking out the Big Loop Trail around Lake Cushman. Or if you are feeling more adventurous — check out Mildred Lakes.
#16. RUN!
The Huff in Puff trail in Shelton is a great place to start but there are lots of beautiful trail run areas too.
#17. SIP
Stottle Winery, Hardware Distillery, and Hoodsport Winery, Potlatch Brewery in Hoodsport; Bent Bine Brewery and Mosquito Fleet Winery in Belfair; and Walter Dacon and High Steel Beer in Shelton, all have plenty of locally made beverages to go or to sip on site.
#18. BREAKFAST OUT
The Tides in Lilliwaup, That Place in Port Orchard, and Blondie's in Shelton all make the list for best local breakfast hangouts.
#19. BIKE THE FJORD
Trails in the Olympic National Forest vary from challenging to easy gravel roads. Combine trails and roads to create loops that offer a variety of forests, streams and panoramic vistas.
#20. RIDE THE CURRENT
Launch at the Shelton Marina on outgoing tides and ride currents in Hammersley Inlet to Arcadia Point. Lunch at Hope Island Park and return with the incoming current. It's a thing.
#21. CANAL VIEWS
From every spot on the road looping Hood Canal you will find inspiring views of the mountains and water – you may even catch a glimpse of a whale, but definitely seals and eagles!
#22. SHELL CREATIONS
Head to a Hood Canal beach for the whitest oyster and clam shells perfect for the guest room soap dish – ask before taking, but most won't mind!
16
ming, fishing and paddling. There's even a waterfall.
quilcenefair.org
RIDE THE RAILS
#26. MOTORSPORTS
Navigate 23,000 acres of the Tahuya State Forest in ATVs or head over to The Ridge for karting and race track. ridgemotorsportspark. com
#27. FORAGE!
New amongst the many activities offered locally are guided plant and seaweed foraging tours and cooking classes. hoodcanaladventures.com.
#28. GET YOUR GLAMP ON
From Canal beach side glamor picnics, or overnight trips - check out explorehoodcanal.com for a list of Lodging.
#29. DRIVE-IN MOVIE
Shelton and Bremerton each feature a classic drive-in theater showing double features during the summer.
#30. LUNCH AT THE RIDGE
Did you know the Ridge Motorsports in Shelton has a dining area where you can go (except major event days) and watch the races free while you munch?
#31. TAKE A S'MORE BREAK
Remember to pack the chocolate, crackers and marshmallows.
#32. RUN WITH THE SALMON
Visit a fish hatchery on Hood Canal! Visit fws.gov for information on area hatcheries and tours.
#33. PICK BERRIES
Although hated by local gardeners, nothing says summer like fresh blackberries consumed warm from the bush!
#34. TAKE YOUR DOG ON A HIKE
Fido is welcome in National Forest, Washington State and most county parks – but not the Olympic National Park. Leash and
pick up after your pal.
#35. Visit the Market
Local farmer and crafter markets are a great way to find treasures and to sample outdoor food. See the list on page 65!
at the
Drop by the Hoodsport Library this Spring and Summer! We have fun for the whole family!
#36. FOR THE BIRDS
The Theler Wetlands, Skokomish Delta, Duckabush, and Dosewallips are great places to catch glimpse of resident and visiting avian community! olympicbirdtrail.com
#37. crafting Wednesdays
The Hub in Belfair offers all ages crafting on the 1st & 2nd Wednesdays, 3:30PM - 5 PM, Reservations recommended. Cost $5 ($3 members). hubhappenings.org
#38. ROAST THE BEANS
Urraco Coffee in Shelton roasts all their beans on site in their cafe on 7th and Cota. Their coffee is available in Hoodsport as well at the Fjord Oyster Bank, check out the converted bank drive-thru!
#39. HARVEST SHELLFISH
Check out the harvest guide on page 38.
#40. GET A CARVE ON Stop in at the Bear in A Box, Allyn for chainsaw artwork. Feeling like a lumberjack? Sign up to learn how to sculpt a squatch with a chainsaw! bearinthebox.com
#41. HYDRO SAVVY
Check out the first hydroelectric wheel on the fjord. Dalby Waterwheel is located on SR 106 between Cameo Boutique and Alderbrook Resort.
#42. CHUCK A DISC!
The Shelton Springs Disc Golf Course recently received top ratings.
#43. SUMMER MUSIC
Check out the summer music series' at Kneeland Park, Hama Hama in Lilliwaup & Belfair's Mosquito Fleet Winery. Details page 6.
#44. SQUATCH WATCH
With over 22 sightings in Mason County alone - chances of catching a glimpse get higher each year. Keep your eyes peeled and your camera ready for that money shot!
#45. VISIT TOLLIE
The historic Shay timber train located in downtown Shelton, Tollie, No. 7, was one of 20 Shays constructed in 1924.
#46. WHAT'S 'SUP?
A great way to explore the canal.
#47.
Using water from the Olympics, The Hardware Distillery creates right in Hoodsport. Swing by their tasting room and lift your spirits! hardwaredistillery.com
#48.
Each year Hood Canal and South Puget Sound enjoy visits from orcas and grays. Follow their arrivals on the orca network online.
#49.
Gather up the family and the buckets and head to the low tide for a giant aquarium that beats any confined exhibit. You’ll get wet and muddy but will walk with memories to last a lifetime!
#50. JUST R-E-L-A-X!
We have some of the cleanest air and water in the country, friendly people and gorgeous scenery everywhere.
The Quilcene Fair & Parade plus Car Show is a FREE family friendly event that takes place on Saturday, September 16 on the grounds of Quilcene School located at 294715 US Hwy 101 in Quilcene.
The Fair opens at 10 AM with local vendors and the car show. The parade, along Hwy 101 in front of the school, starts at 11AM and is Free to enter with registration beginning at 9 AM. All are encouraged to be in the parade; bring your logging truck, horse, tractor or advertise your business or club!
Car Show registration is $15 and also begins at 9 AM. Car show participants can be in the parade too and will receive a dash plaque. Trophies will be awarded for Best in Show, Best Classic Car and Best Hot Rod. After the parade, stick around for a
kids carnival including laser tag and a foam party, prizes, food, vendors, local exhibits, raffle, car show and entertainment. This year, we are excited to have Quilcene’s own Kalan Wolfe & The Shift performing along with The Buck Ellard Band and Harmonica Pocket. More information can be found on quilcenefair.org. Stay tuned to it and our Facebook page for updates.
Vendors, including food vendors, can find pricing and registration on the website, quilcenefair.org
September 16
10 AM - 3 PM
Nine students from Shelton High School’s Health Sciences Academy will receive fullride higher education scholarships in a designated medical pathway, up from three scholarships awarded last year by Mason Health.
“Mason Health was so impressed with the caliber of young adults who applied for the scholarships,” said Mason Health Chief Nursing Officer Melissa Strong. “They all did amazing during the interviews. We increased the number of scholarships available so we could remove barriers for any of our communities of youth to embark on a career path with Mason Health. We hope by removing the financial barriers, they will be able to focus on school and learning what they need to become successful, productive adults that remain in our community.”
The future health care workers will be offered a position at Mason Health upon completion of their programs, if a position is open.
This year’s recipients in Phlebotomy include: Dolores Andres-Gervacio, 18; Anthony Castaneda Martin, 17; Pedro Jimenez, 18; Milo Young, 18. This year’s recipients in Registered Nursing include: Wyatt Anthis, 18; Henry Gomez Cruz, 18; and Heaven Smith, 1.7
This year’s recipient in the Medical Assistant program is: Olivia Henry, 18. And this year’s recipient in the Certified Nursing Assistant program is: Feona Caxhandra Suson Medina, 17.
Mason Health, Public Hospital District No. 1 of Mason County, is celebrating 55 years of serving patients and the community this year.
Farmers' markets are now open all around the area. More and more markets have been springing up bringing farm fresh seasonal produce and hand-made products grown and created by local farmers and artisans. Often too, there are eating options and live music so you can enjoy the whole day.
Belfair Farmers Market
22900 WA-3, Belfair Sat, May – Sept, 10 AM - 4 PM
Market on the Hill
1st & 4th Sat thru August
9 AM -3 PM
Lake Cushman Road, Hoodsport
Olympia Farmers Market
Thursday - Sunday in April - October, 10 AM -3 PM
700 Ca pitol Way N, Olympia olympiafarmersmarket.com
Shelton Farmers Market
Cota Street , Shelton
Saturdays, May - October, 10 AM - 3 PM sheltonfarmersmarket.org
Tumwater Farmers Market
Wednesdays, June - October, 11 AM -2 PM
855 Trosper Rd, SW #108-219
Tumwater, Washington
Port Orchard Farmers Market
Saturdays, April - October, 9 - 2 PM Parking Lot at Bay & Harrison Port Orchard Waterfront
David
Come enjoy the Quilcene Historical Museum, also recognized as the Little Museum that Could, and Did. Situated in Worthington Park Quilcene, the Museum’s 10 acres of possibilities is a great stopping place when you visit the Hood Canal area. You’ll discover a fantastic presentation of the past.
Check out the recently refreshed, well-lit Museum with AC, where you can relax and explore. Step into our new exhibits and see local history come to life with interesting stories. Marvel at the juxtaposition of the old ways of communicating like manual typewriters, rotary phones (would a young person know how to dial?), Rolodex filing system with the modern technology of QR codes. Call ahead for a guided tour of the 1892 Hamilton-Worthington Victorian mansion, or enjoy our new Digital Docent for its complete restoration and current splendor of period furnishing on Youtube. com/@hamiltonworthingtonmansion.
The grounds of this country estate beckon with a walking trail that visits the Little Quilcene River in two secluded places. There is a peaceful pond that attracts red-winged blackbirds, frogs, river otters, ducks and geese. The local deer population visits regularly. The open meadow is dog-friendly, and
a lovely shaded picnic area is next to the Museum. There is plenty of open space with adequate parking for RVs. This is a perfect stopping place to enjoy time away from the hustle and noise.
For those interested in a longer visit, the Worthington Mansion is available for overnight stays. The Mansion has four bedrooms and a large dining room that accommodates twelve comfortably. This is an ideal venue for large family get-togethers, weddings, celebrations of life, business meetings, retreats, theater productions, and other group events. The Museum, located on-site at 151 East Columbia St, is available to visit on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 1 pm. to 5 pm. The grounds are open every day during daylight hours.
Learn more, come by, book your stay, or bring your event. Contact the museum, worthingtonparkquilcene.org, (360) 765-4848.
Photos courtesy of Christine Satterlee and Jeff Childs
In 1990 a car show was added to Mason County Forest Festival sanctioned events. Since 2010, the Shelton High School Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps. (NJROTC) Booster Club has hosted this event on the Sunday, June 4.
Months of planning go into this event and on the day of the show it takes eight city blocks of space and about 50 volunteers to operate! Hundreds of vehicle travel from all over Washington (and some from Oregon and Idaho) to attend & participate.
Proceeds this year will continue to help support the NJROTC cadets’ leadership program and activities. The Booster Club is able to help send cadets to leadership academy and competitions with funds they raise from the car show. Additionally, proceeds will also support the Mason County Forest Festival.
The Shelton Car Showoff continues to be a success because of all the support from the car owners, the local businesses that help sponsor the event costs and the dedication of the cadets and volunteers that participate every year.
Thank you to Gold level sponsors: The Shopper, Bekos Tree Service, Shelton CJDR, Shelton Group, South Sound Appliances, West Bay Napa Auto Parts, Yesteryear Car Club and Shelton Tabs and Titles. Thanks Silver sponsors: Our Community Credit Union, Cut Rate Auto, Shelton Dental Center, Jalisco, and Denny's Auto Service. Thanks to our Bronze sponsor Hood Canal Communications.
The event is located "uptown" on Olympic Hwy N, between C and K Streets. Car registration is 8 AM – 11 AM on “F” Street. The car registration fee is $25 per car with dash plaques available for the first 300 registered on site. Plaques will be awarded in 35 categories.
The event is Sunday, June 4th from 10 AM – 3 PM and is free to spectators. There will be food vendors on site, a silent auction or regular raffle, and a 50/50 raffle.
Receiving hundreds of inches of rain annually, the Hoh, Quinault and Queets Rainforests are located on the coastal foothills of the Olympics. With 21 feet of snow or rain at its peaks, it’s no wonder there is a myriad of waterfalls lacing the area. Explore this sampling curated by celebrated guidebook author and avid hiker, Craig Romano. Some are small, secret, and unique, others are popular but magnificent. All are worth the journey!
Receiving hundreds of inches of rain annually, the Hoh, Quinault and Queets Rainforests are located on the coastal foothills of the Olympics. With 21 feet of snow or rain at its peaks, it’s no wonder there is a myriad of waterfalls lacing the area. Explore this sampling curated by celebrated guidebook author and avid hiker, Craig Romano. Some are small, secret, and unique, others are popular but magnificent. All are worth the journey!
Olympia & Hood Canal
1. Tumwater Falls Loop (1 MILE – EASY)
1. Tumwater Falls Loop (1 MILE – EASY)
Olympia | Exit #103 off of I-5 S to Deschutes Way
Olympia | Exit #103 off of I-5 S to Deschutes Way
Tumwater Falls Park, no pass required, kid/dog friendly Iconic landmark, multi-tiered showy falls separated by gorge.
Tumwater Falls Park, no pass required, kid/dog friendly Iconic landmark, multi-tiered showy falls separated by gorge.
2. Kennedy Creek Falls (6.8 MILE RT – MODERATE)
2. Kennedy Creek Falls (6.8 MILE RT – MODERATE)
9. Dosewallips Falls (9.0 MILE ROUND-TRIP – MODERATE)
9. Dosewallips Falls (9.0 MILE ROUND-TRIP – MODERATE)
Brinnon | US 101 Milepost 306, Dosewallips Rd 9.7 miles to trail Olympic National Park, no pass, kid-friendly, dog-prohibited Spectacular 100’ waterfall previously had vehicle access but now to reach waterfall you must hike or mountain bike closed road..
Brinnon | US 101 Milepost 306, Dosewallips Rd 9.7 miles to trail
Olympic National Park, no pass, kid-friendly, dog-prohibited Spectacular 100’ waterfall previously had vehicle access but now to reach waterfall you must hike or mountain bike closed road.
10. Fallsview Falls (0.2 MILE ROUND-TRIP – EASY)
10. Fallsview Falls (0.2 MILE ROUND-TRIP – EASY)
Kamiliche | US 101 N, left at Old Olympic , mile to gate Forestry & WA DNR, no pass required, kid/dog friendly
Kamiliche | US 101 N, left at Old Olympic , mile to gate
Forestry & WA DNR, no pass required, kid/dog friendly
Descend to a grove of big trees — and the falls. Here Kennedy Creek tumbles over basalt flow.
Descend to a grove of big trees — and the falls. Here Kennedy Creek tumbles over basalt flow.
3. Vincent Creek Falls (ROAD ACCESS – EASY)
3. Vincent Creek Falls (ROAD ACCESS – EASY)
Skokomish Valley Rd; 5.6 miles to FR 23; 2.3 miles to FR 2340
Skokomish Valley Rd; 5.6 miles to FR 23; 2.3 miles to FR 2340
Olympic National Forest, no pass, caution: low guardrail
Olympic National Forest, no pass, caution: low guardrail
Arched truss 685’ High Steel Bridge (1929) spans 375’ and is the 14th highest bridge in USA. Falls drop 250’ over canyon.
Arched truss 685’ High Steel Bridge (1929) spans 375’ and is the 14th highest bridge in USA. Falls drop 250’ over canyon.
4. Big Creek Cascades Loop (4.2 MILE – MODERATE)
4. Big Creek Cascades Loop (4.2 MILE – MODERATE)
Lake Cushman / Hoodsport | SR 119 for 9.3 miles to trail head
Lake Cushman / Hoodsport | SR 119 for 9.3 miles to trail head
Quilcene | US 101 at Falls View Campground. Trail in picnic area Olympic National Forest, pass required, kid/dog friendly, ADA Trail is ADA accessible to a falls cascading 100’. By late summer it trickles—but during the rainy season the falls put on a little show.
Quilcene | US 101 at Falls View Campground. Trail in picnic area Olympic National Forest, pass required, kid/dog friendly, ADA Trail is ADA accessible to a falls cascading 100’. By late summer it trickles—but during the rainy season the falls put on a little show.
Lake Crescent & Elwha River
Lake Crescent & Elwha River
11. Striped Peak Falls (2.2 MILE RT– MODERATE) Salt Creek County Park | SR 112 , 7.2 miles, R. @ Camp Hayden Rd Clallam County Parks and WA DNR, no pass, dog-friendly Small but location in remote cliff-enclosed sea cove is stunning.
11. Striped Peak Falls (2.2 MILE RT– MODERATE)
Salt Creek County Park | SR 112 , 7.2 miles, R. @ Camp Hayden Rd Clallam County Parks and WA DNR, no pass, dog-friendly Small but location in remote cliff-enclosed sea cove is stunning.
12. Madison Creek Falls (0.2 MILE ROUND-TRIP – EASY)
12. Madison Creek Falls (0.2 MILE ROUND-TRIP – EASY)
Elwha River Valley | Olympic Hot Springs Rd 2.1 miles
Elwha River Valley | Olympic Hot Springs Rd 2.1 miles
Olympic National Forest, pass required, kid/dog-friendly Loop utilizes old logging roads, new trails and series of bridges constructed by volunteers that continue to improve this loop.
Olympic National Forest, pass required, kid/dog-friendly
Loop utilizes old logging roads, new trails and series of bridges constructed by volunteers that continue to improve this loop.
5. Staircase Rapids Loop (2 MILE – EASY)
5. Staircase Rapids Loop (2 MILE – EASY)
Lake Cushman/Hoodsport | SR 119; FR 24 for 14.7 miles
Lake Cushman/Hoodsport | SR 119; FR 24 for 14.7 miles
Olympic National Park, pass required, kid-friendly, no pets Follow river to suspension bridge, cross river and complete loop on North Fork Skokomish River back to Ranger Station.
Olympic National Park, pass required, kid-friendly, no pets Follow river to suspension bridge, cross river and complete loop on North Fork Skokomish River back to Ranger Station.
6. Hamma Hamma Falls (ROAD ACCESS – EASY)
6. Hamma Hamma Falls (ROAD ACCESS – EASY)
Lilliwaup | FR 25 for 13.3 miles
Lilliwaup | FR 25 for 13.3 miles
Olympic National Forest, pass required, kid-friendly Bridge spans two-tiered falls (80’). Overhead view decent year round. On drive back, enjoy views of secondary falls along river.
Olympic National Forest, pass required, kid-friendly Bridge spans two-tiered falls (80’). Overhead view decent year round. On drive back, enjoy views of secondary falls along river.
7. Murhut Falls (1.6 MILES ROUND-TRIP – EASY)
7. Murhut Falls (1.6 MILES ROUND-TRIP – EASY)
Duckabush River Valley | FR 2510 6.3 miles, FR 2530, 1.3 miles
Duckabush River Valley | FR 2510 6.3 miles, FR 2530, 1.3 miles
Olympic National Forest, no pass required, kid/dog-friendly
Olympic National Forest, no pass required, kid/dog-friendly
Well-built trail to 130’ two-tiered waterfall. Pacific rhododendrons line the trail in May and June.
Well-built trail to 130’ two-tiered waterfall. Pacific rhododendrons line the trail in May and June.
8. Rocky Brook Falls (QUARTER MILE – EASY)
8. Rocky Brook Falls (QUARTER MILE – EASY)
Brinnon | Milepost 306 on US 101, Dosewallips Road 3 miles
Brinnon | Milepost 306 on US 101, Dosewallips Road 3 miles
Private, no pass, kid/dog-friendly - check for closures
Private, no pass, kid/dog-friendly - check for closures
Classic horsetail waterfall crashes more than 200’ from hanging valley. Summer, the cascade pool is a popular swimming hole.
Classic horsetail waterfall crashes more than 200’ from hanging valley. Summer, the cascade pool is a popular swimming hole.
Olympic National Park, no pass, kid-friendly, ADA, dog-friendly Short walk to mossy maple and cedar lined grotto. This path is one of the few within the national park that is open to leashed dogs.
Olympic National Park, no pass, kid-friendly, ADA, dog-friendly Short walk to mossy maple and cedar lined grotto. This path is one of the few within the national park that is open to leashed dogs.
13. Wolf Creek Falls (0.8 MILE ROUND-TRIP –MODERATE)
13. Wolf Creek Falls (0.8 MILE ROUND-TRIP –MODERATE)
Elwha River Valley | US 10, milepost 240, Olympic Hot Springs Rd, 4.0 miles, left onto dirt Whiskey Bend Rd, 4.2 miles to trail head Olympic National Park, pass required, dogs prohibited After a steep descent to river walk along the gravel bank of Wolf Creek to a fanning 25’ falls. Step back to see another tier above it.
Elwha River Valley | US 10, milepost 240, Olympic Hot Springs Rd, 4.0 miles, left onto dirt Whiskey Bend Rd, 4.2 miles to trail head Olympic National Park, pass required, dogs prohibited After a steep descent to river walk along the gravel bank of Wolf Creek to a fanning 25’ falls. Step back to see another tier above it.
14. Goblins Gate (3.6 MILES ROUND-TRIP – MODERATE)
14. Goblins Gate (3.6 MILES ROUND-TRIP – MODERATE)
Elwha River Valley | milepost 240, Olympic Hot Springs Rd, 4 miles onto dirt Whiskey Bend Rd, 4.5 miles to trail head ONP, pass required, kid friendly, dogs prohibited Hike to a Elwha River gorge to a series of rapids.
Elwha River Valley | milepost 240, Olympic Hot Springs Rd, 4 miles onto dirt Whiskey Bend Rd, 4.5 miles to trail head ONP, pass required, kid friendly, dogs prohibited Hike to a Elwha River gorge to a series of rapids.
15. Boulder Creek Falls (8.4 MILES ROUND-TRIP – MODERATE)
15. Boulder Creek Falls (8.4 MILES ROUND-TRIP – MODERATE)
Elwha Valley | Milepost 240, Olympic Hot Springs Rd, 10 miles Olympic National Park, pass required, dogs prohibited A series of cascades in valley with luxuriant old-growth forest. The hike is an all-day event but is remoter than nearby popular sites.
Elwha Valley | Milepost 240, Olympic Hot Springs Rd, 10 miles Olympic National Park, pass required, dogs prohibited A series of cascades in valley with luxuriant old-growth forest. The hike is an all-day event but is remoter than nearby popular sites.
Thank you.
Waterfall project made possible with Mason County Lodging Tax funding. explorehoodcanal.com
Thank you. Waterfall project made possible with Mason County Lodging Tax funding. explorehoodcanal.com
®2020 | Information and images courtesy of Craig Romano. Craig has written more than 20 guidebooks including Day Hiking Olympic Peninsula 2nd Edition www.waterfalltrail.org
®2020 | Information and images courtesy of Craig Romano. Craig has written more than 20 guidebooks including Day Hiking Olympic Peninsula 2nd Edition www.waterfalltrail.org
16. Marymere Falls (1.8 MILES ROUND-TRIP – EASY)
16. Marymere Falls (1.8 MILES ROUND-TRIP – EASY)
Lake Crescent | milepost 228, right at Lake Crescent Lodge
Olympic National Park, no pass, kid-friendly, dogs prohibited A popular waterfall on the Olympic Peninsula, if it was harder to reach, this 90’ horsetail cascade would still be well-visited.
Lake Crescent | milepost 228, right at Lake Crescent Lodge Olympic National Park, no pass, kid-friendly, dogs prohibited A popular waterfall on the Olympic Peninsula, if it was harder to reach, this 90’ horsetail cascade would still be well-visited.
17. Sol Duc Falls (1.6 MILES ROUND-TRIP – EASY)
17. Sol Duc Falls (1.6 MILES ROUND-TRIP – EASY)
For full descriptions on all these waterfalls including maps, updates and images, visit: WATERFALLTRAIL.ORG
For full descriptions on all these waterfalls including maps, updates and images, visit: WATERFALLTRAIL.ORG
Wynoochee River Valley
Wynoochee River Valley
23. Spoon Creek Falls (6 MILE ROUND-TRIP – MODERATE)
23. Spoon Creek Falls (6 MILE ROUND-TRIP – MODERATE)
Sol Duc River Valley | Sol Duc Hot Springs Road, 14 miles to trail Olympic National Park, pass required, kid-friendly, no dogs
Sol Duc River Valley | Sol Duc Hot Springs Road, 14 miles to trail Olympic National Park, pass required, kid-friendly, no dogs ONP’s most photographed waterfall. The falls tumble about 40’ into a tight slot and abruptly flow at a right angle into the gorge.
ONP’s most photographed waterfall. The falls tumble about 40’ into a tight slot and abruptly flow at a right angle into the gorge.
18.Strawberry Bay Falls (3.6 MILES ROUND-TRIP – EASY
18.Strawberry Bay Falls (3.6 MILES ROUND-TRIP – EASY
Olympic Coast | SR 110 to Quillayute Prairie, 3.8 miles to trail Olympic National Park, no pass, kid-friendly, dogs prohibited Hike to Third Beach to witness this waterfall tumbling more than 100’ from a towering headland into the surf.
Olympic Coast | SR 110 to Quillayute Prairie, 3.8 miles to trail Olympic National Park, no pass, kid-friendly, dogs prohibited Hike to Third Beach to witness this waterfall tumbling more than 100’ from a towering headland into the surf.
19. Mineral Creek Falls (5.0 MILES ROUND-TRIP – EASY)
19. Mineral Creek Falls (5.0 MILES ROUND-TRIP – EASY)
Wynoochee Valley | FR 22 34 miles, FR 23 2.5 mile to trail
Olympic National Forest, no pass, kid-friendly, dog friendly 93’ falls plunge into a box canyon. Trail goes through old-growth forest to a viewpoint of falls dropping into the gorge.
Wynoochee Valley | FR 22 34 miles, FR 23 2.5 mile to trail Olympic National Forest, no pass, kid-friendly, dog friendly 93’ falls plunge into a box canyon. Trail goes through old-growth forest to a viewpoint of falls dropping into the gorge.
24. Maidenhair Falls (1 MILE ROUND-TRIP – EASY)
24. Maidenhair Falls (1 MILE ROUND-TRIP – EASY)
Wynoochee Valley | FR 22 34 miles, FR 2312 5.8 miles, FR 2385
Olympic National Forest, no pass, kid-friendly, dog friendly Overlooked by many due to its close proximity to Wynoochee Falls, this is a pleasant surprise in a quiet corner of the Olympics.
Wynoochee Valley | FR 22 34 miles, FR 2312 5.8 miles, FR 2385 Olympic National Forest, no pass, kid-friendly, dog friendly Overlooked by many due to its close proximity to Wynoochee Falls, this is a pleasant surprise in a quiet corner of the Olympics.
25. Porter Falls (1.6 MILE ROUND-TRIP – EASY)
25. Porter Falls (1.6 MILE ROUND-TRIP – EASY)
Porter Creek Rd, 2.9 miles B-0150 Rd, .5 mile, B-Line 0.9 mile
Hoh Rainforest | Upper Hoh Rd from US 101, 18 miles to trail Olympic National Park, pass required, kid-friendly, no dogs Tucked within towering Sitka spruces, firs, and maples in the rain forest this pleasant hike follows along the glacier-fed Hoh River.
Hoh Rainforest | Upper Hoh Rd from US 101, 18 miles to trail Olympic National Park, pass required, kid-friendly, no dogs
Tucked within towering Sitka spruces, firs, and maples in the rain forest this pleasant hike follows along the glacier-fed Hoh River.
20. Cascade Falls Loop ( .7 MILES LOOP – EASY)
20. Cascade Falls Loop ( .7 MILES LOOP – EASY)
Quinault Rainforest | South Shore Rd 2.3 miles to trail Olympic National Forest, no pass, kid / dog friendly
Quinault Rainforest | South Shore Rd 2.3 miles to trail Olympic National Forest, no pass, kid / dog friendly
Not the tallest, nor most popular of the waterfalls within the Quinault Rainforest, Cascade Falls is perhaps the prettiest.
Not the tallest, nor most popular of the waterfalls within the Quinault Rainforest, Cascade Falls is perhaps the prettiest.
21. Merriman Falls (ROADSIDE—MINIMAL WALKING)
21. Merriman Falls (ROADSIDE—MINIMAL WALKING)
Quinault Rainforest | South Shore Rd from US 101, 6.7 miles
Olympic National Forest, no pass, kid-friendly, dog friendly The falls plummet 40 feet over a mossy and ferny ledge into a mossy tangle of boulders and saturated logs.
Quinault Rainforest | South Shore Rd from US 101, 6.7 miles Olympic National Forest, no pass, kid-friendly, dog friendly The falls plummet 40 feet over a mossy and ferny ledge into a mossy tangle of boulders and saturated logs.
22. Enchanted Valley of 10,000 Waterfalls
(26 MILES ROUND-TRIP – MODERATE BACKPACKING TRIP)
22. Enchanted Valley of 10,000 Waterfalls (26 MILES ROUND-TRIP – MODERATE BACKPACKING TRIP)
Quinault Rainforest | South Shore Rd from US 101, 13 miles to Quinault River Bridge,right on Graves Creek Rd 6.2 miles
Quinault Rainforest | South Shore Rd from US 101, 13 miles to Quinault River Bridge,right on Graves Creek Rd 6.2 miles
ONP Wilderness Permits required, kid-friendly, no dog
ONP Wilderness Permits required, kid-friendly, no dog
Behold its stunning backdrop of sheer cliffs 3,000 feet high streaked with waterfalls and hanging snow and ice.
Behold its stunning backdrop of sheer cliffs 3,000 feet high streaked with waterfalls and hanging snow and ice.
Full descriptions: waterfalltrail.org
Full descriptions: waterfalltrail.org
Full descriptions: waterfalltrail.org
Full descriptions: waterfalltrail.org
(including map coordinates)
Capitol State Forest, Discover Pass required, kid/dog friendly Located at the confluence of the South and West Forks of Porter Creek. Here one branch cuts through a cleft while the other plunges over a ledge into a big punchbowl.
Porter Creek Rd, 2.9 miles B-0150 Rd, .5 mile, B-Line 0.9 mile Capitol State Forest, Discover Pass required, kid/dog friendly Located at the confluence of the South and West Forks of Porter Creek. Here one branch cuts through a cleft while the other plunges over a ledge into a big punchbowl.
PORT ANGELES
National Park
NOTE: MAP NOT TO SCALE, FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY.
June 23 - 25, 2023
Food Trucks | Vendors | Go Karts
entertainment
