Camping on Lake Mills 08/09/10

Glines Canyon Dam on Lake Mills

Lake Mills will be no longer accessible soon, and soon after that it will no longer exist.  The Glines Canyon Dam that creates Lake Mills will be taken down through 2011 into 2012.  This is one of the largest dam removal projects in the world.  A little farther done the Elwha River you run into Lake Aldwell and its dam will also be taken down simultaneously.  Olympic National Park will be heading up the whole project. This will help return salmon and steelhead back to the river, which have been absent since 1927.  The Elwha River used to be known as the best fishing river on the west coast (not including Canada and Alaska).  100 lb salmon were common to the river.  

Lake Aldwell Dam

My turn, so Brian thought it would be important for us to go kayak in the lake before it is a thing of the past. Plus we hadn’t kayaked in over a year, so sad! We have some great friends with a terrier names Spot who agreed to take on watching Nala for us, which was exciting to have a little time away and a little scary.  By the way she did great, only peed on their carpet once and played with Spot and even met a cat for the first time.  I dropped Nala at the babysitters Sunday afternoon and then met Brian at the end of his shift in the Elwha area of the National Park. We drove to the place were we put the kayaks in the water and got them loaded up and pushed off around 4p.m. The lake is beautiful and it was so fantastic to be back on the water, I had totally missed it.  We reminded ourselves how to paddle and as usual got to racing right away. We enjoyed a really leisurely paddle to the end of the lake where we intended to camp, it was maybe a 45 minute paddle with only a little bit of rough water at what I think they call “Windy Point”.

We coasted inland, got out and carried our kayaks onto the bank for the night. We set up camp, I usually start on the tent and Brian gets the varying sizes of wood for the nights fire. Brian was itching to fish so we went back to where we docked our kayaks and I got a piggy back ride out to a stump in the bay where I sat and was the official “fish spotter”. I have played this role before, I generally get bored quickly but it was such a beautiful afternoon, the water was calm and the fish were jumping. I had a great view from my stump, the lake and trees covering the mountains surrounding the lake, toppled trees in the water which had flowers growing from them and of course my amazing husbands backside J I would yell “fish” and point and then he would cast in that direction and I’m sure he’ll correct me after he reads this but I think “We” caught 6 fish. I would yell “Ohhh, fish”, more excited than I expected it to be, I think it’s cause he was really catching the fish I would spot.

Brian took some photos of me on the rock, one of which I’m going to work into advertising for my business and I got some good shots of him fishing.  I got cold and hungry which is what usually happens and we ended the fishing session. Actually I went and made some chili (started the camping stove all by myself) and Brian fished some more. We had chili and chips and carrots for dinner and of course followed it up with S’mores. I had a little time for deep breathing and just soaking in the sounds of the forest on this really great big log.  There is nothing like the peace that the forest brings, it’s all encompassing. I find that it makes me feel small and so very connected all at the same time.

We both slept really well and actually didn’t wake till 9:30a.m the next morning. We had some oatmeal and coffee for breakfast. Coffee also tastes way better in the forest.  We packed up and made lunch at the same time, sausages and apples, and filtered some more water for the journey home. Brian thought he had some more time for fishing 

so I decided to get into the hammock that we always bring with us. It isn’t a necessity but I’m always glad when we bring it because it’s so nice to sit in and I’m always amazed when I fall asleep in it. Brian got me my sleeping bag and I got into that and then back into the hammock and had an hour or more nap which was excellent. We were stalling a little bit during this time because the water was a little rough. By the time Brian had enough fishing and I was up from my nap we headed out back on the water to home. It started raining shortly after we began our paddle and once I decided it was okay if I got drenched it became actually really refreshing and fun to be kayaking in the rain. It was a quick paddle back and ended in Ranger Doolittle chatting with several different people at the boat landing about the changes that are soon to come to the area. We got going soon and went to pick up our little girl who was very excited to see us.

It was a great weekend and a very relaxing camping trip, even if it was a little short.