Going to La Push

We’re going to La Push again in May. My friends know that this is my favorite place on Earth, was the topic of one of my first posts ( see “My Eden”) but this is going to be fun because it is the first time for my grandsons (photo taken by my son, their dad, Mike– see “Waterboys“)! They are two (twins) and two (years old) and I can’t wait to see their reaction to the forest and the sea! When thinking about La Push the smell of the deep richness of the forest soil and the tanginess of the sea air creep in with the memory. We (Tiff, Jonathan and I) were there in December and the rain and wind gave it a wildness rarely seen during summer months. We took advantage of this one sunny day and drove up to Lake Ozette and hiked the approximately 3miles out to Cape Alava. We had to really hurry however because the days are short and it gets dark around 4 pm. That is an easy hike, more like a walk, really, because it is mostly on boardwalk with little gradient change. We didn’t have the time to go down the beach and back on the other leg of the triangle but will do it in May.

We also drove to Port Angeles as we always do to browse the bookstores. Lake Crescent was dark and mysterious this time, the clouds gentle on the mountains. This was the first time that I didn’t want to spend much time out — it was misty and cold and didn’t feel comfortable there by the lake.

This is the setting for the Stephenie Meyer madly popular vampire series Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and whatever the last one is. I’ve added the links here for those of you who think these are the greatest books since….

If you go to La Push, however, don’t look for vampires, don’t hike through the forest with your heart pounding as you wait for golden eyes, listen instead to the wonderful people who live there and who are dealing with real-life issues such as how to make a living in an overfished and depleted ocean, how to convince their kids to stay away from drugs and stay in school and how to save their dying Quileute language. That’s just while you are in town.

On your way through the forest to the beach listen to the heavy silence punctuated by the gentle call of an occasional bird, the rustling of settling forest and undergrowth. Everything is muffled and it seems natural to either be silent or to speak in whispers. The floor of the forest absorbs footsteps as well as footprints. Open your senses and absorb everything because too soon you must leave.

This is another world, one of peace, silence, reflection and restoration.