From Ocean to Snow

Waking up to the ocean was incredible! We spent the early morning collecting rocks on the beach and running from the foamy waves of the tide. After climbing around on massive pieces of driftwood we decided to head more inland and check out Olympic National Park. As we drove through the forest we half expected a dinosaur to burst through the trees and chase us from its territory! Huge trees, large ferns and moss covering everything, it was like being in a different world. We actually stopped at a hot springs location and went for a swim. It smelled like rotten eggs but damn did that feel good. Then after a quick lunch we continued to Hurricane Ridge for a view of Mount Olympus. A twisty road through the mountains took us from sea-level to 5,242 feet on top of a mountain in only 17 miles! Terrifying cliff edges and sharp turns made us a bit nervous but we made it to the top with the grace of a skilled mountain goat. Our views went from dense trees and green ferns to several feet of snow and a 20 degree temperature drop!! Coming down the mountain was much easier but we discovered that Ashley has a crippling fear of driving along a sheer cliff edge. A lower elevation and a much slower heart rate for Ashley signaled that we were leaving the mountains for the day. We headed south towards the state capital where we found a quiet campgrounds tucked against the forest. Hopefully for Ashley's sake we're done with mountains for awhile!

-The A-Team