Forks and Quinault

December 18-22, 2025

It started raining again. Or maybe it didn't stop. On day 7, we found ourselves in Forks, WA. About 4 years ago, in another lifetime it seems, we visited this part of the Olympic National Park. I don't have very many memories from that trip, even though it was to celebrate my 40th birthday. I remember being in a rush to get from one place to another. We were on a schedule, because we both had to get back to work. It was in late November, and there were floods. The Hoh Rain Forest was a much-anticipated stop on that Olympic National Park tour, and I was disappointed when the Upper Hoh Road was closed, preventing a visit to this part of the Park. I remember spending a cold, wet day in a loft cabin near Forks, WA - the best accommodation available. I read a Marine Corp officer's autobiography memoir, One Bullet Away, by Nathanial Fick. I don't remember anything about it.

Fast forward to today, the Upper Hoh Road is closed again (see: third atmospheric river to pass through in a week). We arrived in Forks under very different life circumstances. We are not on a schedule, and we are not in a primitive loft cabin. But for a second time, Forks was cold, wet, and desolate. It's an old logging town that has never quite transitioned to quaint or picturesque. Maybe it's the dreary weather that makes it feel extra depressing. Forks is an appropriate setting for fictional vampire stories, but neither of us have read or watched the Twilight series. We had lunch on Rialto Beach, and attempted a walk on the beach before the incessant sea spray and rain drove us back inside.

We drove past town and decided to camp at Bogachiel State Park. It was completely empty. We drove around several times to find the "perfect" camp site, because when you have too many options, it gets stressful to choose. Spot #18 was the win for the night. This might be my favorite WA state park. It's gorgeous, like living in a rain forest. Everything is green. It's not a disappointment to miss the Hoh Rain Forest when you feel like you're living in a one for a campsite.

Beautiful as the rain forest is, I think it was this day that the rain and gray finally got to us. Tiny homes are cozy until they're not. We hadn't had a proper walk or stretch in a week. When we looked at a weather map of the USA, it looked like the entire northwestern section was under a winter storm system. All the mountain passes over the Cascades were closed, or should be closed due to treacherous conditions. We briefly fantasized about driving down to Arizona.

We finally settled for continuing south on Highway 101, while waiting for the mountain passes to clear. This allowed for a spontaneous stop at Ruby Beach, which I like more than Rialto. And we drove the parts of the Quinault Loop Road that weren't closed or under water, listening to GuideAlong's audio tour guide of Olympic National Park. For only $19.99, the narrator has been part of our entire Highway 101 journey and enriched a lot of our experience. We stayed a night in Hoquium, WA after exiting the National Park. Maybe the next and third trip to Olympic National Park, I'll finally get to see the Hoh Rain Forest. It's been there for thousands of years, chances are it'll be there when I return.

There are usually 2 ways to cross the Cascade Mountains to get to Washington's "east side" where we live. Highway 2 over Stephens Pass has been closed for the winter season. Interstate 90 to Highway 97 over Snoqualmie and Blewett Passes was open, but the WSDOT cameras showed ice on the road and poor visibility. We have lived here long enough to know that if you wait a day or so for the storm to pass, the conditions will improve. And so we hunkered down on the west side of the Cascades. In Olympia, we went in search of a Costco - for cheaper gas, and to stock up on my new favorite yogurt, Ellenos unsweetened Greek yogurt. By the end of the day, we found ourselves near Vancouver, WA at Battle Ground Lake State Park. The park evidently gets its name from the nearby town of Battle Ground, WA, named after a conflict between the U.S. Army and the Klickitat peoples in the 1850s. We were in a full-hook up site #20 for 2 days, and enjoyed the breaks in the rain to get a 3.5 mile walk in. Thus we passed pleasantly the shortest day of the year, Winter Solstice.

Cheers to the lengthening of days, and the new year. May the sun return after all that rain!