Spiritual Dancers Posing by Madison Falls

Since it was both Sunday and we weren’t on-shift for our camp hosting gig, we were able to explore the area around us a bit more.  I had wanted to do a waterfall hat trick since there are 3 of them within an hour or so from us, but as usual the plan had to be modified mid-stream. 

We got a late start after a longer church service, then had to buy some provisions and gas up the truck (no stop in Port Angeles is complete, it seems, without visiting Wal-Mart and Safeway).  When we finally arrived at the first stop - Madison Falls - it was pushing 2:00.  We heated up some soup on the truck camp stove and while eating noticed some activity in the parking lot.  As we watched a gal slowly transformed from a normally-dressed person into an Indian princess in full regalia.  It was quite a sight to watch her use our mirrors & tinted windows to adjust her headdress.  We could tell she was part of a larger group and wondered if we had lucked into a ceremony of some sort taking place. 

As it turns out (and as far as we could understand as English was a second language for them) they are a travelling Indian Spiritual Dance tribe.  They are from the Olympic region and perform all over the area.  This was not a performance stop for them, but rather an opportunity to take some promotional photos in a natural setting. 

After getting some photos we moved on to Marymere Falls with it’s parking lot by Crescent Lake.  While not a long hike back to the falls it was quickly obvious that MsBoyink was in pain, with her back acting up again.  We made it at a slow pace, enjoying the views and finding the paths relatively busy for a late Sunday afternoon.

Between MsBoyink’s state and the late afternoon hour I knew better than to push on to a 3rd stop at Sol Duc falls - so we went home from here. 

We are still trying to enjoy this area, but are very much looking forward to wrapping up our camp-hosting commitment and getting back on the road again.  With daytime temps rarely above 65 I feel like we’ve missed summer - and while I know people in many areas of the country would have loved some relief from a too-hot-and-muggy season we’re pining for some 80-degree days where we can feel like we’ve fully dried out.