The edge of the US-sort of

Day 8 of our trip we headed into Olympic National Park out of Port Angeles, Washington.  We stopped first at Madison Falls which was a short trail to a beautiful waterfall in the Elwha Valley portion of the park.

 

 

We drove on through the park and hiked up to the popular Marymere Falls.  There were wooden bridges and steps made for giants going up the mountain and it was a beautiful hike.  The falls were long and of the “bridal veil” type falling down a cliff.  So lovely and a popular spot for photographers with really large tri-pods.

It’s become a tradition to photograph me in front of waterfalls because I love them so much, so this time Scott got a shot, too.  Sharin’ the waterfall love!We decided that while we were here we should take a detour and go to the most northwestern point of the continental United States.  Because, we could.  There aren’t a lot of connecting roads in that area so we took off on WA112 which went north to the coast then west all the way to Cape Flattery which is on the Makah Reservation.  We had to buy an annual pass to enter so we can go back to the rez until the end of 2014.  Scott told the guy at the tribal center that we were going out to Cape Flattery and he was told, “Follow the yellow line on the road.  When it stops, you’re there”.  He didn’t lie.  The road ended forever in a small parking lot and we started out on the trail which looked primeval and a foresty, like this.

There were boardwalks and steps over marshy areas with several platforms for viewing the coves and sea stacks on the way out to the Cape.We finally got to the end of the country and it was a breathtaking view.  The Cape is a historic vantage point for the Makahs who long used the waters off the Cape and Tatoosh Island for seasonal hunting and fishing trips.  From this high spot the Makah sighted early European expeditions searching for the Northwest Passage and the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca.The view from Cape Flattery to Tatoosh Island and its lighthouse.Here we are at “the edge”.  That’s us.  We’re super edgy.  Ha, ha!