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Posts Tagged ‘Hwy 101’

Growing up we were often heading out on adventures. Sometimes the adventures would be intentional. These could be as close as a muddy spring trip along a trail on our “back 40.” Just preparing a fence line for our cattle to pasture on in Northern Minnesota could lead to a full weekend of trudging through the mud by tractor or truck, getting stuck and with many tools, getting unstuck.

Our life revolved around our cattle. In fact, each January we loaded our prized cows, calves and bulls to find our way through Minnesota’s infamous winter weather to compete at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado.

Fighting our way through temperatures of forty-below zero and downright lethal winds, we hauled our hearty Scottish Highlanders down the interstate highways. Often times the gates across I-29 in North Dakota would drop behind us as we hit snow drifts at 55 mph only to barely emerge from them with enough speed to escape into the wind-cleared pavement ahead.

It was often silly to be on these yearly pilgrimages because of the bad the weather. Add to that the fact that we were trying to grow our farm as a business and couldn’t afford a decent rig to haul our animals. The risk of attending these well-attended national events was great. My father saw it as a required risk in order to build awareness of our breeding program.

Imagine for a second the power of Mother Nature. The outside temperatures were cold to the point of brittle metal. The stock trailer was open to the wind and weather. Traveling at Interstate Highway speeds likely dropped the temps to nearly -100° F. Yes, 100-degrees below zero, 132° F below freezing. Very cold conditions to withstand for hours on end.

Mother Nature also created the hearty Highland cattle eons ago. Their thick hide, hair up to 12 inches long and massive horns made them tough. Their toughness likely saved their lives during our yearly trips.

One particularly cold trip caused a bit of stress. Several hours into the trip, we pulled in for fuel and to check on our prized load of animals. The 18-year old cow with her calf stood without issue when we encouraged them to get up. The five-year old bull that my father was particularly proud of for his 2,000 pounds of heft, square physique and docile nature were exactly what the breeding program intended to create. The bull refused to stand from the woodchip and straw lined metal trailer floor.

In a bit of a panic, both my father and I increasingly prodded and pushed until the gentle giant struggled to get up. The problem was that he stood up with his front legs and the rear stayed down. Bovine stand up rear legs first. This was not a good sign. He pushed with his powerful rear legs, but always got to a point when his well-muscled honches relaxed on the floor. Shining a flashlight we found the problem.

A bull has a very specific purpose in life. The bulls are recognized at a young age for demonstrating characteristics that could improve a herd of cattle. His genes pass through the herd to create better and larger quantities of beef for sale.

In his slumber the bull must have kicked the bedding away from underneath his rear end. His testicles rested unprotected from the frosted metal of the trailer. The skin was now glued to the metal like a kids tongue to a school yard flag pole. With empathy for the poor fella, we separated his main tool for him to fulfill his purpose in life from the trailer. An agonizing, yet sincere look of gratitude escaped his eyes as he stood tall. Now released from the clench of Mother Nature and the man-made steel trailer.

The evidence of this event was easy for the show ring judge to notice. The once healthy pink skin was blackened in an area the size of three silver dollars. A crowd of spectators dotted the stadium seats. With his microphone turned off, I watched from the sideline as the judge questioned my dad about the bulls condition. An obvious cringe came across the male judge’s face as he turned on the microphone in his hand, raised it to his mouth and addressed the crowd. They soon shared in the judges cringe.

The judge finished with, “This is an incredible example for the breed. He surely would have scored better than my placement in fourth had he not survived a bit marred and unlikely to spread his genetic strengths on in a breeding program.”

Our dreams and the reason for this entire adventure squashed with a fourth place bull. Perhaps we should have written the judge when that bull went home to breed 150 cows that summer.

Again my father and I are leaving on an adventure and this time, in the warmth of May and without hauling hooves. Along with my wife, Monica, we’ll ride BMW R 1200 GS motorcycles along the length of the Pacific Coast Highway.

Hopefully, nothing will get stuck to cold metal on this trip.

In the days to come, I’ll share the ride and our experiences along the Pacific Coast Highway.

The next morning we head back to Hwy 101 via NP2880. This road offers great views down the steep cliffs above the Dungeness River. We dismount in Sequim to find treats and coffee. We find both within a short stroll. The coffee joint could have been found on any Seattle-area street. The treats on the other hand, were quite scrumptious. Bell Street Bakery (173 Bell Street, Sequim, WA or 360-681-6262) has their won grain and flour mill. All of the ingredients are grown locally and milled in-house. Their pastries provided the local flavor that we look for during our trips.

Interesting driftwood on Dungeness Spit

With pleasantly full bellies we ride back to the Dungeness Recreation area via the old Olympic Highway. The Dungeness Spit is a more than five-mile sand spit that juts out into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Near the end of the spit is the New Dungeness Lighthouse, circa 1857. The lighthouse has been updated to an automatic light and is now operated by the New Dungeness Lighthouse Organization, which took control from the U.S. Coast Guard.

We enjoy a long stroll down the spit looking over the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It would take a couple hours to make it to the lighthouse. A walk that would be well worth it if we had the time. After taking several photos we continue down Hwy 101 to Port Angeles.

The ride from Sequim to Port Angeles is relatively undramatic. It is a wide, fast and indifferent road from any other get-there-fast highway. Luckily, the destinations are worth the few minutes of boredom.

The Olympic National Park Visitor Center is located on a hill in Port Angeles. Just follow the many signs. The visitor center offers the typical gift shop, but also ha a very nice exhibit area about the park. This is valuable infomratio nthat keeps you informed as to the geological and climatic uniqueness that is visible from the road.

Turning right from the visitor center is a park entrance and Heart O’ the Hills campground. This is one of the larger campgrounds in the Olympic National Park. We find ample available sites. We stake our claim and set up camp.

The damp and socked in skies clear as we finish setting up camp. After a brief run into Port Angeles for dinner, we decide to forgo our evening planes and head up Hurricane Ridge.

Sun sets over the Olympic Mountains viewed from Hurricane Ridge

Hurricane Ridge Road climbs quickly. It rises up from sea level in Port Angeles to approximately 5,200 feet at the top. The road itself is worth the trip. Even on the cloudiest of days it twists and turns with a rockwall to the right. On the opposite side of the road is a small shoulder and steep drop off. There isn’t much room for error. An abundant wildlife population and park rangers eager to snag speeders means that motorcyclists should be mindful of the posted speed limit. That is completly alright as the views deserve every bit of attention that the road affords.

After passing through a couple tunnels and leaning through countless turns, we arrive at the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center.

The area is aptly named for unpredicable weather that rolls over the Olympic National Park. With clear skies, Hurricane Ridge Road and the views from it are suberb.

The view from the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center

We arrived to the top as the sun hung low in the sky. The visitor center was closed, but a Kingston-area school teacher was setting up some sort of contraption. Being the curious person that I am, I enquire for more informatin. The contraption is actually a project that he built with his students. It is a very high power telescope that is self-contained for transport. Throughout the summer he holds stargazing sessions from the top of Hirricane Ridge. The surrounding mountains block any light pollution and on clear nights (on which the program only runs) the stars move quickly, but clearly past its lens.

It was total happenstance that we stumbled upon this program. It doesn’t have to be a chance encounter for you. Plan to arrive just prior to dusk to take in the mountain views. Then after the sun sets you can take in the astronomical views.

We ride very slowly back down the mountain to our camp site at Heart O’ the Hills. After failing to get our damp wood to catch fire, we retire to teh warmth of our sleeping bags. At least we’ll have wood to burn to cook breakfast. As long as we can get it lit.

As peninsulas go, there are three options for day trips (west side, north side and east side.).  This trip is being split up into separate articles by day. This allows you to pick and choose which parts best fit with your schedule and what you’d like to see. Time didn’t allow us to make the western Pacific Ocean portion of the Olympic Peninsula. Stay tuned for the next article on the section of our trip through lavendar farms and Port Townsend.