August PNW Cruise: Hood Canal to Alderbrook

In 1792, George Vancouver, British Royal Navy,  ventured into Hood Canal in longboats. He left his ships, the Discovery and Chatham, in nearby Port Townsend. Vancouver and his crew journeyed as far as the mouth of the Skokomish River, near the present day town of Union, where Menzies, his botanist, was amazed by the rich vegetation as well as the natural beauty of the area. He wrote in his journal, “here the arm was hemmed in by lofty Mountains on one side and low flat country of considerable extent on the other.”

We also have been captivated by the beauty of Hood Canal.  There are no large towns, so it looks much the same today as it did when initially explored.  Its beauty continues to be defined by the clear blue skies, blue water and lush green forests descending all the way to the water.  The Fjord, which is often more than 500 feet deep, separates the Kitsap Peninsula from the Olympic Peninsula.  The towering mountains of the Olympic Range dominate the skyline to the west.  Cruising the cool, clear, wind ruffled waters this morning we have seen harbor porpoises, fish jumping and birds soaring.  

Finding the docks at Alderbrook full, we retraced our route 2 miles back to the town of Union.  There we found moorage and took the opportunity to top off both our fuel and water.  We then set off for Alderbrook in our dinghy.

Alderbrook is to the Hood Canal as the Ahwahnee Hotel is to Yosemite.  It's a luxury resort on the shore of a cove a couple of miles past the "dog leg" of the fjord.  Visitors arrive by seaplane, boat, and auto.  The buildings are constructed of native materials and painted tastefully in colors which blend with the natural palette of the area.  

Many guests were enjoying the afternoon relaxing, talking, and reading in the chairs which looked over the water.  We had heard of their trail network so headed there to stretch our legs and get some needed exercise.

There is a creek that descends from the hills behind the resort.  The trails propagate out in loops on either side of the creek.  We crossed a wooden bridge and immediately began a gradual climb through the drainage of the spring feed creek.  We were surrounded by towering fir trees, sword ferns, deer ferns, huckleberrys, moss, and the primeval vegetation of the pacific northwest.  It was cool and refreshing at the same time.  A welcome change from the direct sun encountered on the water.  

A northwest garter snake hurried across the trail as we approached.  We stopped and watched it move to a safe distance.  A little later we saw a black douglas squirrel gathering small pine cones.  It allowed us to approach quite close before scurrying away.  As the sun was sinking lower in the sky, we used a trail junction as a prudent turn around point and headed back to our dinghy for the return trip to Amy Marie.

We celebrated our safe return with an ice cream cone and watched the sun set over the Olympic Mountains while eating our dinner out in the aft cockpit.  As soon as the sun disappeared, the air chilled, so we retreated to the cabin for a movie and a final glass of wine.  We were very happy we made the effort to explore this area for it had a nice gentle jibe and beauty that brought smiles to our faces.