Camping at Shi Shi Beach

So it has been awhile since we actually went camping on Shi Shi Beach, but I don't have much time these days, so my posts accumulate and I do them all at once. That being said, we had an amazing time.

Shi Shi Beach is on the Olympic Peninsula at Neah Bay, on the Makah Indian reservation. The drive out there was a journey enough, car, ferry, more car, long windy road... we were delighted to get out of the car.  Isabel especially. She is not a good car traveller.

Once at the trailhead, we loaded up our very overweight backpacks and prepared for a 2.6 mile hike into the woods to emerge on the beach. Maxwell did pretty well. He lost it when his feet got covered in mud, but we pushed on and finally made to the narrow switchback down to the beach. After that it was another mile of hiking down the beach to the perfect spot, right next to 1 of 2 fresh water sources on the beach. I, Maxwell and Isabel were exhausted. She didn't walk, I carried her in my pouch. At least she kept me from falling backward from the weight of my pack.

 This is the sight that met us when we got down to the beach. STUNNING!!

It got more beautiful as we walked down the beach.

Just simply stunning!

Our humble camp site. That is us on the right. I have never slept on the beach before and it was great. We went with some great friends and their little boy. He is a little older then Maxwell and they get on great.  The area where we are all congregating is our communal kitchen area.

 Our tent and surrounding area.

The boys playing near our shady area, on the left.

 Maxwell was in Heaven! He loved the beach and sand and water and camping and...

 ...we set off looking for the tidepools. We hiked down the beach another mile and half or so to the large rock islands in the first few pictures.

 I lubed him up with a gallon on sunscreen and hoped for the best.

The tidepools did not disappoint. Lots of starfish, hermit crabs, barnacles and sea anemones.

Brilliant orange and purple starfish. 

Maxwell and Kirill investigated the underside of the starfish.

Both boys were so very gentle with all of the animals we encountered.

Isabel doesn't look thrilled, but she was enthralled with the ocean. The first day we got there she was entranced and kept pointing the way she does.

Getting closer to the tidepools. The signature pointy finger.

Maxwell with Aunty Brandy, one of Kirills moms. She goes to school with Terry and they are great friends. Maxwell loves her, not just because of the marshmallows!

The sunset on our 2nd night. It was glorious!

The whole crew, Brandy, Kirill, Alex, Alex's mom Lara, me and Isabel, Maxwell and Terry.

It was an eye opening experience for me, backpack camping for the first time. I think we did great. Isabel decided to cut her top 2 teeth on the first night and screamed off and on for the majority of the night. Luckily Maxwell was so tired he slept through the whole thing. Not so much for mommy and daddy. Other then that it was not bad eating camping food and sleeping on the sand.

The journey back was more challenging. We were considerably lighter but Maxwell did not want to leave. He cried the whole way down the beach. It turned around a little as Alex helped him climb like a monkey up the switch back trail. He hiked the entire way back only being carried around the mud puddles. When we finally made it back to the trailhead and in the car, it took all of 2 minutes for Maxwell to pass out! Isabel slept the entire hike in my pouch, so sleeping in the car was a no go! I am sure when she gets to face forward in a carseat it will get a little better, I hope.

It was breathtakingly beautiful and I did enjoy it, I think we will scale down next time and Maxwell will have to learn to eat what we bring. I won't say, "I can't wait until we do it again," because it was also very challenging. Maybe when we can put Isabel down and not be worried about her eating sand, we will try it again. Until then, car camping it is!!