Shi Shi Beach and Point of Arches

2006-07-04T12:10:00.000-07:00

After doing a lot of research on Shi Shi Beach we felt the need to go there. In order to get to the trailhead (North trailehead) we had to get permission from the Makah Indians. After buying an Olympic Parks Permit ($13), and then the Makah permit plus parking ($25), we started on our way. The hike was beautiful and had a well groomed trail most of the way to the beach. This is one of the many foot bridges we needed to cross to get into the beach.

Once we reached the beach we saw a flurry of activity, from surfing to fishing and camping. The weather was perfect for hiking, the marine layer kept everything cool and damp. 4 surfers came via boat, they would roll in, drop anchor, surf and then leave. I couldn't believe they spent the effort for this surf. In the background is the point of arches.

We hiked south along the beach and Jennifer had an eye for everything. Her she is holding a fairly large sand crab.

The last trip we learned Quentin gets bored easily. This time we decided to bring him a Kite (thanks for the idea Mr. Strunk) and a football. Right after reaching a camping spot that was far enough away from the hide tide point, we broke out the football and played catch for awhile. Jennifer captured this perfect mid air throw.

After Quentin got a little tired, we decided to start the fire building process. It was now about 5pm and getting close to dinner time. Here, Jennifer and Quentin are relaxing by the fire, listening to the surf pounding in the background.

This is the most amazing beer story of all time. While out collecting firewood in the sea of driftwood, something caught my eye. Nestled in the driftwood was a Becks
beer can. I picked it up and felt it,and it was full! I thought at first it might have
a hole punched in it and the sea water was the weight. To my disbelief, there

was not a single hole in it. Though the can was well dinged and dented from the time spent in the ocean, it was still in perfect shape. I quickly checked the best used by date on
the bottom, Nov. 2006. Perfect! I tried to read the label but it is all foreign
languauge (guessing it came off a container ship making it's way to Seattle). I

cleaned the barnacles from the top, cracked it, poured it into a cup and tasted. Perfect tempature and flavor. The beer went perfect with dinner. I couldn't ask for a better reward after a long hike in.

After dinner, we hung out until dark (which by the way is around 10pm in the Northwest). The following day we awoke and Quentin rembered he had a kite. Off he went for an hour or so. We made breakfast and headed to the point of arches for a day of exploring.

Along the hike we saw many star fish crammed in the rocks. It was just about low tide when we started our hike.

Jennifer again, had the eye for the animals and creatures.

This was one of the largest sea stars I have seen, it had to be 20" across. Jennifer carefully picked it up to inspect.

We hiked out to the point and found many caves and arched you could explore. Inside the caves we tide pools filled with sea creatures. It was incredible and we didnt want to leave. Unfortunately, the tides had something to say about that.
Here you see Jennifer walking into the cave.

The island we were on had a series of caves, around 6 total. This is looking south out of one of them.

This was the largest arch we saw. If you look closely you can see the rocks peppered with star fish.

After our long hike out to the point, Jennifer and I relaxed on the beach while Quentin wanted to test the waters.

While Jennifer and I were relaxing, a large bald eagle flew out of the trees and landed 200 feet from our camp. We watched it for a little while and tried to figure out what it was doing. It stayed in the same spot and was tugging on

something. This sparked my intrest and I walked over to it. I got within 30 feet and watched it for a good 20 minutes. It finally gave up and took off. I walked over to see what it was eating and there it was, a dead sting ray that washed up on the beach

The day ended with another enjoyable dinner. The following morning we beagan to pack things up. Here is a picture of our campsite with the Point of Arches in the background. The sea of driftwood provided as much firewood one could ever ask for.

On the way out, we spotted a family of otters. If you look close, you can see a Dad, Mom and 3 babies playing on the rocks. We made it back to the car by 2pm, and then the long drive home. This was another amazing trip to the Washington Coast. We are looking forward to our next adventure.

SHI SHI BEACH TRIP 2006

Shi Shi Beach and Point of Arches