The Outdoor Program ventured out to the wild Olympic coast this last weekend. A full van of nine Evergreen students made the four-and-a-half-hour drive out to Ozette to backpack around the scenic loop.
As they pulled into the parking lot, the rain stopped and the three mile trek to the coast was spent comfortably in silence, everyone taking in the beautiful and diverse landscape around. They made it to the campsite with daylight to spare, the clouds breaking for a brief glimpse of the sun setting over the tranquil Pacific Ocean.
After setting up camp and eating dinner, they explored the exposed beach left by the low Spring tide, wandering far out into the darkness, scrambling over rocks and exploring tide pools. With all the lights out, a few participants had a good scream into the abyss. The rain started just as the happy campers tucked themselves up under their tents and stopped again when the sun came up.
Once they had a quick breakfast and birthday celebration the next morning, they spent several hours wandering up and down the beautiful beach, rounding headlands and running to and from the waves.
As soon as everyone had their fill of the coastline, they packed up and hiked back out to the car. Immediately the rain came again and the drive back to Olympia was spent snoozing, listening to music, laughing, and having a quick stop at First Beach in La Push.
The wonderful weekend ended with smiles and hugs all around.
By Luna Hoopes
