Drenched (aka - Tenting it on the Olympic Peninsula)

So, I've discovered the problem with tent camping on the Olympic Peninsula is that there is a very high likelihood of getting rained on, thus having to take refuge under a makeshift tarp shelter for hours on end.  And when one is stuck huddling under said shelter for an indeterminate length of time,  just watching the deluge around, there isn't much to do.  Thank heavens for box wine.  That was the only thing that helped us pass our time the first couple of days we were out there.  The incessant rain forced us to huddle under the tarp like pathetic refugees, and filled the air with so much moisture we couldn't even read our books or play cards; it was just too wet.  So, we sat and drank.  Good times. (Please note the sarcasm.  Even box wine gets old after a while.)  But, after two days, the rain relented and we were granted some sunshine.  Still, nothing really dried out.  (I don't think that part of the world ever does.). We stayed as damp and musty as ever.  But, at least, we were able to get out from under the tarp and expand our world.  We hiked and admired the old-growth trees; some so massive, one could only guess as to how old they were.  We lounged by the lake, and let Puppy swim to his heart's content.  By all accounts, it was a perfectly lazy Labor Day weekend.

Now, we've shed the forest and are chilling on the coast.  It's not the warm, sunny beaches of SoCal that we're accustom to (cloudy is the word of the day), but the scenery is breathtaking.  I think we're doing the Pacific Northwest well...

Rained Out

Road Trip Day #14 - Well, we didn't have any luck with blue skies yesterday.  So now, we look and smell like drowned rats.  So far, camping on the Olympic Peninsula has proven to be a very soggy ordeal.  We're not going to quit, though.  We're rough 'n tumble campers and are going to tough it out.  The forecast is predicting bluer skies, so we're hoping for the best.  If not, we'll be back to drinking boxed wine under the tarp.  Bleh.

Over and Done

Road trip Day # 13 - It's amazing what a few days of rest can do for the body.  Considering how thoroughly wrecked I was on Sunday night, I feel great.  My quads are a little fatigued and my back is still in knots, but those are the only physical remnants of Sunday's Ironman.  It's almost sad.  After all those months of training, planning, and obsessing, it's just over.  Sigh.

But now it's time for the fun part of our road trip.  Now it's time to play.  We've crossed the border and are back in the states, exploring the Olympic Penninsula.  We spent last night at Dungeness Forks campground, tucked back into the Olympic National Forest.  Today we're headed south to Wynoochee Lake, and are praying the rain lets up.  It's beautiful out here, but wetter than wet.  The peninsula is certainly living up to it's reputation.  All we can do now is hope for the best and, possibly, a break in the clouds.  A little blue sky would go a long way...