Olympic Coast: Backpacking, beachcombing and boulder hopping

Trip dates: July 15th-19th

By Line

Introduction
The idea for this trip was born months ago, sparked by three moms dreaming of an adventurous summer getaway together. As with any grand plan involving multiple families, there was a level of uncertainty about whether it would all come together. Yet, as time passed, the pieces began to fall into place: we secured the necessary permits, and booked the shuttle. Days before departure panicked messages flew back and forth about food, gear, and ferry bookings. Despite my apprehension, especially considering our youngest, who will be 5 in the fall and had only hiked up to 5km in one go the previous summer, it was starting to seem like it might actually work out. The trip was somewhat ambitious for us, with some days planned to cover as much as 10km. We hoped the little one would mostly hike by herself, but we knew we might have to carry her at times. There was only one way to find out if she could handle it.

Day 1: Rialto beach to Hole-in-the-wall
After a long drive, including a necessary stop to pick up bear canisters and rearrange our food and gear, we were finally ready to set off. It was mid-afternoon by the time we were on our way with one of the other families—Tim, Michelle, and their two kids, ages 11 and 5. The last family would join us later in the day.
As we walked along the coast, I was confused by the birds flying overhead. Michelle confirmed they were pelicans, a surprise to me as I didn’t realize they ventured this far north. Watching these large birds swoop down to catch fish was mesmerizing and added a touch of magic to our start. The hike began with a short 3km warm-up on an easy sandy or pebbly beach. We reached Hole in the Wall with about 30 minutes to spare before the tide got too high to safely pass. The big kids were thrilled by the natural arch and the vibrant tidal life below, and were excited to repeat the trip when Christian had to come back through to give our youngest a spotter while she scramble up the steeper side leading to the arch.
Our first campsite was located near a small trickling stream a bit further ahead. As we arrived, we saw Chris, Krystil, and their two kids, ages 6 and 9, making their way over the inland "trail" by Hole in the Wall. Soon, we were all together, setting up camp while the kids explored the sea stacks and played in the little stream. We celebrated our successful arrival and the fact that everyone had made it out.  As the sun set, we settled into our tents, ready for the adventure to continue in the morning.

Hiking with a friend. Pelicans in the background.

Going through Hole in the wall

Day 2: Hole-in-the-wall to Chilean memorial
With another short day ahead, we decided to enjoy a leisurely morning, planning to leave around 11am. It was our middle child's 7th birthday, and the other kids organized a small treasure hunt and made birthday cards using rocks and charcoal. Watching them come together to celebrate was heartwarming, adding a special touch to our adventure. Though the route was mostly straightforward beach walking, we encountered our first rock fields and overland trails today. Unlike the beach hikes we’ve done in BC, where much of the trail is inland, the Olympic coast is mostly beach - trails are few and mostly involve scrambling up and down crumbling obstacles. 
The day's hike ended at another beautiful beach campsite, this one with access to a toilet. Despite the  1-star review from the kids due to the smell, flies, and cleanliness of the toilet seat, it was still an improvement over no toilet at all. The evening brought some worried thoughts about the next day's plan. The timing of the tides required an early start to get around the first headland, and the distance would be more than double today’s, with around 10km ahead. After some discussion, one family decided with a heavy heart that the next day's hike would be too much for them. They planned to head back in the morning. We all felt a little sad but were glad they joined us for these first few days and made the best decision for their family. 

Descending the headland

Day 3:Chilean memorial to Norwegian creek
It was only 6am when the alarm went off. I snuck out of the tent to get breakfast started, enjoying the quiet of the morning alongside the other moms. We relished these few moments of peace before waking up the dads and later, the kids. As soon as the kids were out of the tents, we packed up camp. Just after 8am, I said my goodbyes to Michelle and started heading toward Cape Johnson, the first headland, with our 4-year-old. After finishing packing up breakfast, the rest of the crew were also back on the trail. They all passed me about halfway around the headland, which was a challenging rocky coast with some wet and slippery sections. My little one liked holding my hand while jumping from rock to rock; her unpredictable leaps made her a bit of a loose cannon. The slippery rocks were especially challenging for her, as she had little concept of how to handle them. I anxiously thought back to our last coastal hike, where a green slippery patch threw a wrench in our plans when I fell and dislocated my shoulder. With the tides lapping at our feet, Christian came back to give me a mental break from our little jumper. We had yet another headland to round, so we continued in a similar fashion—Christian going ahead with everyone else and then coming back to help us across the tricky sections. Once we hit the nice hard-packed sandy beach, I breathed a sigh of relief and joined the others for a break. They had settled down for lunch, but a pungent ocean-like smell led them to discover a nearby otter carcass. It wasn’t the first carcass of the trip, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. They were just moving down the beach when I joined them.
The rest of the day was easy, cruising on the hard-packed sand with only small headlands to get around. A highlight for the kids was a steep overland climb with a fixed line. The four-year-old was getting pretty confident about her climbing skills and started ascending the rope by herself. This caused me a moment of panic when I couldn't follow her up the rope, didn’t feel comfortable with her going up by herself, and saw her eager to do the climb. Luckily, Christian quickly came back to assist, which even W was relieved about once she had to make it down the other side.
We reached Norwegian Creek after a 9km day around 2:30pm. There was still plenty of time to explore the beautiful expansive sand beach, play with the great building logs, use the swing, and enjoy the forested campsite. I took the afternoon to take a nap to escape a nasty headache and left the evening routine to Christian. Fortunately, I mostly recovered with just enough time to have a bit of dinner and a snack before bedtime. The guidebook promised 6km of tomorrow’s 10km to be slippery rock, which had us planning for another early start.
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Made it around the headland before high tide.

Nice to have a sister to hold your hand.

Day 4: Norwegian creek to South sand
I enjoyed another quiet early morning with Krystil before repeating the previous morning's routine. After breakfast and packing up, we headed off from camp for a kilometer of hard-packed beach before encountering the feared slippery rock section that would last most of the day. We reached the rocks, but to our relief, they remained mainly dry and non-slippery. While walking through the various sizes of rocks was tiring, the terrain was generally less technical than the previous morning's headlands. W's rock walking, jumping, and climbing skills had improved significantly, making her more independent. However, she was starting to feel the strain of the trip, and whenever the walking became a bit easier, she would remember how tired she was. When the terrain allowed, Christian would give her a shoulder ride on top of the pack or put the pack down and come back to carry her.
Today we found even more carcasses and started using them as landmarks when radioing back and forth. The stretch was also littered with bones, which our kids gleefully collected like they were Pokémon cards. N insisted on carrying out a heavy, large bone that we presumed was from a whale. About halfway through the rocky section, we found a cool arch and had our first lunch break while watching some "wave TV." This section of the trail lacked the iconic sea stacks, so the waves were much bigger and closer, making the coast feel more exposed. The second half of the rocky section went smoothly as well, and we were happy to be back on the hard-packed sand of Yellow Banks. The last headland to South Sand was interesting and really beautiful, with caves, sea stacks, and interspersed sand. It had been a long day on the trail, so we were happy to roll into camp around 4:30pm. We expected the last day to be smooth sailing, so we celebrated our successful completion of the hardest section.
The campsite was located up on a plateau, so we cooked and set up camp in the forest. After dinner, we headed back to the beach to dance with the waves as the sun was setting. It was a perfect way to end the day.
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Dancing at Sunset.

Cruising along the forest trail.

Day 5: South Sand to Ozette 
After a couple of hard days, we let the kids sleep in and didn’t hit the hard-packed sand until 11am. The beach was now busy with surfers and day hikers, reminding us that the trip would soon be over. We took a last long break at Sandpoint, absorbing the final ocean views. Just before entering the forest trail, a small deer joined us on the beach, passing by the kids surprisingly and somewhat concerningly close. The forest trail was cruisy but hot. W confidently led the pack, while N, feeling tired, lagged at the back with Christian. One of the other kids took W under their wing, talking to her, carrying her bag, and making sure she had water and snacks. This allowed me to zone out for most of the 5km trail, a welcome mental break.
Once at the trailhead, I left W with Krystil while I started the logistics of the evening—setting up camp and catching the shuttle back to our car. Meanwhile, the kids relaxed in the shade, checked out the lake, played, and enjoyed ice cream and pizza. It was a great way for them to celebrate the end of the trip before the long drive back to BC the next day. 

We made it!

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