When La Push comes to La Shove

The GPS took us on a circuitous route following along the strait of Juan de Fuca on a narrow winding forest road. Lots of logging trucks and bumpy sections to keep one on their toes. About an hour in, we got onto highway 101 and stayed on that until we reached the turn for La Push and the Quileute Reservation.

The campground and lodge here at the Oceanside Resort is owned and operated by the tribe. This is a well known surf spot for local Washingtonians and when we arrived there was a decent sized swell rolling through. A few young bucks attempted to paddle out and got washed down the beach, never making it past the unrelenting whitewater. A more seasoned veteran walked up current and made the paddle out. It was a long, hard slog and he ended up far to the south by the time he got out. A jet ski was pulling another guy into waves but most of the sets were close outs and it wasn’t looking all that inviting to me.

We walked down the beach, a stereotypical northwest strand covered in driftwood and tall trees that had been washed up onto the cobblestone shoreline. I can only imagine the power it must have taken to move something this large high up onto the dry sand. Cali was loving running free and made a few new canine pals as she pranced around the beach. We are parked right on the shore with ocean views out of every window.

The rain and dampness we’ve been dealing with has caused a lot of condensation in the RV. We pulled a bunch of damp stuff out to set in the sun and are keeping things dry to avoid the dreaded mold invasion. We learned down in Jacksonville last winter to stay ahead of it. The weather dropped into the forties as night set in, so we moved inside and did the books to see how far over budget we’re running for October. There are three other campers down on this end and a few bolder adventurers hiked down the coast to camp outside on the beach. The wildness of the place reminds a little of northern Baja in the seventies, with ungroomed beaches left in their natural state and untamed surf battering the shore. A beautiful stretch of Pacific Coast. We’ve now come sea to shining sea from Nova Scotia to La Push, Washington.