21 May: Allan’s Willapa Refuge walk

Sunday, 21 May 2017

The refuge office is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 4:00 pm, but not today.  There is a free walk with sculptures, a labyrinth and the usual woods goodies on a well-maintained path that I should be helping to maintain this coming year.

A low tide had most of the bay in mud but the boat launch and old ferry dock are deep enough to avoid getting stuck in the mud. Here’s the ferry.

Here’s the same ferry taking some members of The Friends of the Willapa on a day trip to Long Island last year.

 

Today it was just a couple in an oar-boat.

Option ‘B’ for a walk was to find the trail head to the Teal Slough.

Teal Slough climbs up and behind the Refuge headquarters. Others have told me where it was with directions such as, “It is just north of the headquarters on the side of the road.” In twelve years I have never noticed it.

Here’s the sign that gave me the clue and had me turning around. There is a safe turn around at the bridge.

This parking spot is across from a squiggle sign. It is, just north of the headquarters on the side of the road.

Wide enough to drive on when necessary for maintenance.

A side trail to a couple of large old cedars the loggers left behind.

If it took 700 years to grow one of these trees, how long would it take to grow two?

There’s more trees…

There’s moss

There are roots and burls