This is a great walk with the possibility of seeing seals, deer and sea birds. Joani and I have done this several times including a round trip to the light house and other walks part way up the spit.

Tuesday was cool to cold depending on the wind but no rain and with an enjoyable concert at St. Luke's church in Sequim added to the mix.

The beach was not all that large and I think the tide was in with waves often lapping our feet. There is an entrance fee to the National Wildlife Refuge of $3.00 but the walk is well worth the fee.

The walk starts with a 0.5 mile trail though woods and then a dip down to the beach, spit. We did about 2.5 to 3.0 miles of walking, a good break in for my new Merrill slip on water proof shoes.

Once on the spit we could see other walkers and hear seals in the near by water. Several seals popped up fairly close to shore, always a treat to experience.

 

Hiked w/ Brooklake Hikers (7 of us) to land of serenity, aka Dungeness Spit & Lighthouse. A bit of a drive from east side of Puget Sound but worth it. Second time doing this hike for me but better weather than last time. Turn off Highway 101 about 4.5 miles west of Sequim on the well-marked but oddly named Kitchen-Dick Road. Another 3.2 miles road goes right and soon after the entrance to Dungeness Wildlife Area can be seen to left. Drive down to the north end of the park where the trailhead is. Restroom facilities at the trailhead.

Our group set out around 10 AM near low tide. Views of mountains, both Olympic & Cascade could be had from various locations along the hike as well as a view of Victoria, Canada. One bald eagle seen on drive in, but not too many different varieties of birds/waterfowl on the hike. We did see some colorful Black Oystercatchers in the surf. It took us a couple of hours of beach hiking to reach the lighthouse. We saw a 4 x 4 truck transporting some of the lighthouse volunteers near the end. We arrived just ahead of a fairly large group of hikers and took the lighthouse tour (which are given in groups of 4). The volunteers were very pleasant and helpful. They actually pay for the chance to spend a week out there ($50 a day + $35 initial fee), so you're looking at around $400 to spend the week out there volunteering. Sounds like a good way to spend a week to me. It's going on by Bucket List. The lodge has 6 bedrooms and every volunteer seemed to really be enjoying themselves, especially a lady from Olympia. A lady from South Africa was also helpful. After the tour and lunch we checked out the boat landing area on the south side of the spit (the only area the public can legally go on that side of the spit). Also, the public cannot access the very tip of the spit, beyond the lighthouse. The spit continues to grow by about 12' a year. Woody spotted some seals in the water and they turned to look at us when we made a bit of noise. It was quite an experience communicating and bonding with those amazing sea creatures, like I was at one with nature! Later we headed back up the spit to reality (as the sign at the lighthouse so eloquently states). We managed to beat high tide by an hour or 2. Those waves were really crashing in! I discovered later that I actually got some red color on my face from the sun, an odd experience for us Washingtonians given the past 6 months or so.

On the drive back, we made a stop at Fat Smitty's about 20 minutes from Sequim in the Discovery Bay area. I had driven by this place so many times but never stopped. Outside are statues of a burger, a lumberjack and a drink (shake?). Inside are dollar bills tacked everywhere on the ceiling, walls, etc. The food; great! A couple of the employees even took us in the back where there was a large sign given to the previous restaurant owners by the Boy Scouts listing all the hikes they had done. I guess the Boy Scouts got the previous donation from the dollars on the wall, which when taken down every so often always go to some good cause. Lauren couldn't resist and placed a signed dollar on the wall. Great sunny day to hike with a great group!

Dungeness Spit has been on my to-hike-in-the-winter list forever, and whith passable weather and agreeable tides, it seemed that this was the perfect time to tackle it.

The day turned out to be perfect...on Dungeness Spit. Overhead, the sky was cloudless, but all around you could see the edge of the "hole in the clouds." Rain could bee seen to be falling in the nearby Olympics, and the weather to the north, south, and east was clearly mostly cloudy. But the sandy Spit was soaked in sun.

The hike was delightful. The waves crashed and the sea birds danced and wheeled overhead. At one point I caught a glimpse oh a marine mammal swimming by two hundred yards off shore. Too big to be a seal, too brown to be a whale or porpoise...a sea lion, perhaps?

I made it to the lighthouse, took the tour, and then scooted back to the car.

It was a little weird to hike on Good Friday..hiking while fasting is a different experience!

This was hike 27 of my 30/300/30000 @ 30 challenge.

1. Deception Pass
2. Wallace Falls
3. Spencer Island
4. E. Fork Foss River
5. Lake Serene
6. Wallace Falls
7. Goat Lake (N. Cascades)
8. Boulder River
9. Third Beach to Toleak Point (Overnight)
10. Big Quilcene/Marmot Pass (Overnight)
11. Lake 22
12. N. Fork Skokomish (Overnight)
13. Welcome Pass/High Divide
14. Golden Lakes/Sunset Park (Overnight)
15. Glacier Basin
16. Sunrise Area Trails
17. Park Butte
18. Mt. Pilchuck
19. Barclay Lake
20. Cutthroat Pass
21. West Fork Foss River
22. Mount Constitution
23. Spencer Island
24. Pine and Cedar Lakes
25. Skline Lake (Snowshoe)
26. Wallace Falls
27. Dungeness Spit

27 Hikes, 230.5 Miles, 44600' Elevation Gain.

  Today I did a rather long hike but mostly a flat one along the Dungeness Spit in Sequim, Washington. This is a 10 mile round trip hike out to The Dungeness Lighthouse. There is a short but steep downhill trail from the parking lot to the beach. Then the rest of the hike takes you along the beach with exceptional views of the Dungeness Spit, Pudget Sound, San Juan Islands, Whidbey Island, Mount Baker, Mount Rainier and The Olympics.
  Several things to think about when doing the whole 10 mile hike and they are tides, weather conditions and lack of water. You must check tide tables to ensure you are starting this hike during low tide. This spit is not real wide and if you try this hike during high tide you will be climbing over lots of logs which can be dangerous as you try to skirt the crashing waves. It will also quadruple your time to get out there and back so do not try this hike during high tide. The weather can come in fast through Pudget Sound and you can find youself fighting 40 MPH winds and rain hiking back when you started off with none. I know this from previous experience on this spit especially in winter. Also there is no shade so if doing this during the hottest time of the year water, a hat, and sunscreen are a must.
 Today I started this hike two hours before the Pudget Sound hit its lowest tide 11:20 am, this way it gave me time to get to the lighthouse spend two hours there and still head back when tide was coming back in. I was glad to have the extra time out there as I waited for the sushine to break through for some great picture taking.
  Small tours are given at the lighthouse which will take you to the top for some nice pictures of the spit. You will see lots of wild and marine life. I saw coyotes, deer, star fish, seals and lots of birds as this is a bird santuary. This hike was well worth the drive and effort it took to get to the lighthouse. Come check this place out, it is magnificent. Checkout the video of the lighthouse on my youtube channel at lmm3181 or checkout one of the other 150 trails I have hiked in Washington on my channel. You can click of this safe but direct link to this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nThe2KqzjKc

As always get out and see this beautiful state.
Enjoy your hiking!
Mike