Views of Sequim, the Olympic Peninsula. . .and beyond
Here’s a twist on the classic dart game: it’s the logger’s version. Grab a big axe, stand about 15 feet away from the target, cock back the axe, and give it a mighty throw.
This fellow made it look almost easy, but then he was the winner. Two women were part of the competition but neither had the broad shoulder leverage to pitch with the strength and accuracy this competition demands. I think it’s a Paul Bunyan kind of thing.
This weekend is the Clallam County Fair and yesterday was the logging show. For the uninitiated (me, for instance), the show is focused on competitive skills: we watched sawing and axe throwing. What you see here is “Jack and Jill” two person manual sawing. Simply said, the couple is timed as they saw through a log as fast as possible. It’s like an instant snapshot metaphor of marriage in action.
Logging is part of the local history and heritage here. I’ll show you more of the action tomorrow.
The 205-foot American Spirit was docked in Port Angeles the other day, one of 20 Puget Sound cruises that include the Olympic Peninsula this spring and fall. Passengers from these cruises will disembark for excursions to Olympic National Park’s Hurricane Ridge or Lake Crescent or walking tours of Port Angeles.
Larger ships carrying an estimated 1800 passengers from the Holland America line will also visit Port Angeles this summer.
Many large cruise ships pass through the Strait of Juan de Fuca on their way to and from Alaska. Businesses in the region are pleased to be included on the itineraries of Holland America and American Spirit.
[In case you’re wondering, American Spirit doesn’t have a cap atop its red, white, and blue stack. That is the roof of an observation tower on a nearby pier.]
I’m a Lincoln fan so this marker on a wall in Port Angeles caught my eye. I guess at least the Daughters of the American Revolution found the event noteworthy.
This shot was taken looking uphill in Port Angeles, Sequim’s western neighbor city.
In the early 1900s the hills leading to downtown were intentionally flushed away by sluicing to make it easier to get to town businesses. The downtown area was also elevated to raise it above the nearby beach. The slurry from the hill removal was dammed along the downtown streets and the lower stories of businesses eventually became today’s underground Port Angeles as the street level was filled in and raised. Uphill, this left bluffs and this walkway (and stairs, elsewhere) as one means of getting up and down.
This was one of my favorite action shots of 2013, filled with the horror of seeing an airborne horse over a rider who’d hoped to stay in the saddle, and amazement that the rider was able to dust himself off and walk away.
Here is MV Coho docked in Victoria, B.C. Operated by Black Ball Ferry and berthed in Port Angeles, the Coho can accommodate 1,000 passengers and 115 vehicles. Sailing time from Port Angeles to Victoria is 90 minutes. Want to plan a cheap thrill? You can travel free on Coho on your birthday.