Stewardship - Duk Point

For the cleanup itself, meet at Lake Ozette Ranger Station at 0830 on 4-23.

Directions to the ranger station and to the Lake Ozette campground: Take hwy 101 through Port Angeles to Sappho. At Sappho (don’t blink) turn right onto hwy 113. Hwy 113 will merge into Hwy 112. Take Hwy 112 through Clallam Bay and past Sekiu. About 2.5 miles beyond Sekiu turn left on Hoko Ozette Road. Continue on Hoko Ozette Road to the ranger station at the end of the road. It will take about 2 hrs to get from Port Angeles to the ranger station. (Don’t be tempted to take a right on hwy 112 just out of Port Angeles – it is the sort-of-scenic-but-definitely-slow route.) If you are using a GPS or Google Maps (or a similar mapping service), you can aim at 21261 Hoko-Ozette Road, Clallam Bay, Washington.

This activity is part of the annual Washington Coast Cleanup – a dedicated, focused effort by volunteers (never enough) to remove debris from our coastal beaches. To learn more about the big picture, check out coastsavers.org. (There is no need to register at coastsavers.org; I have registered for the group.)

Our group will meet the evening of April 22 at the Lake Ozette campground OR at 0830 on April 23 at the Lake Ozette Ranger Station. Either way, on the morning of April 23, we will car pool from the ranger station to Duk Point. From Duk Point we will head north (toward Point of the Arches) and / or south (toward the Ozette River) picking up trash.

Most of us will camp at the Lake Ozette campground the night of 4-22 (Friday). Camping is courtesy of the National Park Service since we are participating in the cleanup. (Of course, if you don’t want to camp, you can drive out the morning of the 4-23, but it’s a long drive.  Other options include staying at the Lost Resort, which is less than 1 mile from the Lake Ozette Ranger Station, or spending Friday night at a hotel in Sekiu and driving out to the ranger station on Saturday morning – about 45 minutes. If you want to stay at the Lost Resort or a Sekiu motel, reserve early.)

Following the cleanup on 4-23, we are invited to the Lost Resort for free bean soup – one of the ways Rob, the proprietor of the Lost Resort, contributes to the cleanup.  Some of us may choose to buy a beverage and / or pizza to go with the soup.

Folks are welcome to stay at the campground again on Saturday night (again free of charge) and those who do so may want to join me for a trip to Neah Bay on Sunday. (I plan on having breakfast at the Warm House Café, taking a hike out to Cape Flattery, and visiting the Makah Museum on Sunday.)

Also, if you are a Mountaineer kayaker, we will go on a paddle on the afternoon of 4-22; meet at the campground at 230 PM for the paddle. (I intend to be at campground by 130 or so to get my tent setup prior to the paddle.)

There is potable water at the Lake Ozette campground; bring everything else you will need to camp and hike. (But keep your hiking gear to a minimum – enabling you to carry more trash.) For the hike itself, hiking boots* and clothing appropriate for the weather – stuff to keep you warm and dry - will be needed as will water and food. (*We will be walking over rock fields and sandy beaches and crossing creeks and, possibly, wading in the ocean very near shore to get around obstacles.  I prefer hiking boots because they give me good ankle support and traction.  Some folks like to wear gumboots – but they don’t give me adequate support.) 

There are a few pieces of gear that are helpful, certainly not necessary, to have for the cleanup:  A stout 6 or 8 inch fixed-blade knife (We often need to cut large diameter line), gardening gloves, and a pack board. Trash bags will be provided.

Please contact me at hohfern@gmail.com if to let me know (1) if you are coming out on Friday or Saturday, (2) if you are joining me on the Sunday trek to Neah Bay, and (3) if you are kayaking with us on Friday, or if you have any questions.