Summer Camp! - #Olympic Peninsula, WA - #SaturdaySnapshots

Did you ever go to summer camp when you were a kid? If you did (and if you enjoyed it), you would have a great time at NatureBridge on beautiful Lake Crescent. Nestled in the northern portion of Olympic National Park (near historic Lake Crescent Lodge), the camp offers cabins in a beautiful setting. The organization's mission: "At NatureBridge, we foster environmental literacy to sustain our planet." The facility is open to youth groups, families, and others. (More info here: NatureBridge-Olympic) 

Along with members of the hiking group from the Auburn Senior Activity Center, I spent three days and two nights at this lovely facility.

Entrance to NatureBridge-Olympic facility

Crescent Lake

The cabin assigned to me ("Raccoon") had four bedrooms, each one containing three bunk beds. I shared my room with a friend. Other people reserved private rooms.

Me, ready to go hiking on a chilly July morning.
(My belly isn't quite as big as it looks in this photo. 
I'm wearing a fanny pack in front under my coat
to hold my camera!)

We shared breakfast and dinner in a "mess hall" with a group of teens visiting from New York. Most of them seemed to be having fun, but a couple of girls confessed that they weren't all that comfortable in the great outdoors! (Limited cell phone coverage.) Our senior group assembled our own sack lunches to take with us on hikes. (More about our hikes in future posts.) 

After a day of hiking, the NatureBridge dock was a great place to relax.

Other views around the camp:

I'll post more photos from our getaway and hikes at Hurricane Ridge, Dungeness Spit, and other areas in Olympic National Park in the coming weeks.

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#Snoqualmie Tunnel Trek - #SaturdaySnapshots

I've hiked along city streets beside Lake Union, on paths in Mount Rainier National Park, on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, and more, but yesterday was my first time to hike through a tunnel. What a great experience! The Snoqualmie Tunnel (part of the 110-mile-long John Wayne  Pioneer Trail) was cool -- both in awesomeness and in temperature. The high temp at Snoqualmie Pass was probably in the mid-70s, but inside the tunnel I needed layers of clothing - 
a t-shirt, long-sleeved cotton shirt, and light jacket. Just right for the damp and breezy hike. 
[Click on photos to enlarge.]

That's me, looking dorky with my headlamp,
trekking poles, and waterproof jacket.

The tunnel is 2.3 miles long and was originally used by trains. The tracks have been removed, of course, and the walking surface covered in asphalt. Occasional drops of water seep from overhead. We all wore headlamps so we could see in the darkness, and the far end of the tunnel was visible as a tiny light far ahead. I had been concerned about feeling claustrophobic, but that wasn't a problem at all. 

Here's the view as I neared the tunnel's end.

Literally the light at the end of the tunnel.

Afterwards, we all stowed our coats and other gear in our backpacks and looked back at the mountain we'd walked under. 

Wow! We walked underneath a mountain!

Nice view for our lunch break.

Not a single cloud, and the sky really was this blue.

At trail's end I experimented with my camera's shutter speed a little bit to see if I could capture the movement of flowing water. 

First attempt:

Slower shutter speed:

I'm not sure which photo I like better. Any comments?

Video too:

More info:  Snoqualmie Tunnel

Saturday Snapshots is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads.

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click HERE or on the box below.  

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have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky on the host blogsite.