Saturday, September 18, 2004
Tatoosh Island, Neah Bay, WA
We've always heard about how Gramps was stationed on Tatoosh Island in Washington state during his World War II Coast Guard service. Gram and Dad (as a baby) joined him and lived on the island also. The most infamous story I remember from that time is how Gram and Dad had to ride in a crane to get on and off the island! Mom and Dad were renting a house in Sequim, so we headed out to the far end of the Olympic Peninsula to the westernmost point in the continental US. The Makah Tribe has recently built and maintained a trail, the Cape Flattery Trail, out to a viewpoint to Tatoosh Island, which is now a bird sanctuary that restricts human visitation. The trail is relatively short, has a nice boardwalk in places, and goes through a nice old-growth forest (probably, I'm not forest expert) to the view point. Several structures are visible on Tatoosh Island, but it appears that some have been removed. What struck me was how small the island was-I would have gone stark raving mad! This was a short hike, but it was fun to go out and see this place that is part of the Mitchell family lore!
Distance: 1.5 miles
Vertical Gain: 50 feet
Weather: Gray, spitty
Dog rating: Stuck at kennel
