One More Time to Rialto Beach

There were/are high wind warnings and severe heat (supposed to be in high 90's today) with the threat of fires starting yesterday and ending tomorrow, due to low humidity - a rarity in this area.  But the winds predicted from the east which meant that the fog that is typical over the ocean beaches would not be - fog would be blown out to sea.  Packed our lunch, got in the car - and nothing.  The car did not start.  Called for jump/tow ,if needed, which they came in 1/2 hour and got the car jumped started.  Dave drove it to the dealer to see what the heck.

Never tire of looking at the very blue Lake Crescent

Drove west on 101 to the cutoff for La Push

And where Rialto Beach is and the Quileute Indian Reservation

Of course No Vampires allowed past boundary into La Push

He was back by 12 and we had a follow up appointment for this morning (we are sitting at dealer now) to see what the heck is going on.  But.  Yesterday we decided to tempt fate and drove back to Rialto Beach on the Pacific Ocean.  Was there last Sunday as was fogged in.  Yesterday - totally different. Drove along Route 101 into Forks and them moved towards La Push where The Quileute Indian Reservation is located (Jacob of the Twighlight series was a Quileute Indian) and the Olympic National Park's Rialto Beach is located.

Yesterday - a tidge still of fog coming in

What it looked like this past Sunday

What a difference

When we got there and parked, there was a huge tourist bus parked in the overflow - and as we walked the beach we saw the tourists - all Asian and doing what they do - taking cad zillion pictures, many of them selfies with the ocean waves crashing behind them.

The sea stacks by James Beach (La Push)

Way out - small islands

Rock beach

Mist beginning to creep back on shore

Way out there - more sea stacks

Using the telephoto lens to see closer

Looking north along the beach

And zoomed in - Hole In The Rock (left of stack)

Walked the beach for a bit and then stopped for a quick lunch, walked some more and I stopped and sat on a driftwood tree while Dave continued on.  Amazing the sights along the beach.  Whole trees laying on their backs, all bark skinned off, some with roots still clinging to it, strewn all along the beach.  Waves crashing, Dave said he saw a harbor seal playing in the surf, lots of tents struck up at the Ellen Creek which was 1.5 miles away from where we entered the beach, just a beautiful day along the water.

Dave heading back from the Hole In The Rock area

When we were packing up to go I noticed the snow covered Olympic Mountains in the distance.  Amazing that the mountains are that close to the ocean.  Stunning.

Olympic Mountains as seen from Rialto Beach