Oyster Dome

6.5 miles and 1900 ft of elevation gain. Promises to be a tough hike! I can't wait! Pictures to follow.

The reality of this hike was MUCH harder than either of us anticipated, and truthfully, it was the first time where I actually felt worried about us making it back to the car. Thankfully, we had enough resources to return safely, if slowly, and it at least served as a wake up call to things we might want to potentially carry with us just in case something should happen.

But I should also add, despite the difficulty... WOW was this hike rewarding....



After our relatively easy hike last week I knew Eric wanted something more challenging and after perusing our guidebooks I settled on the Oyster Dome as something that he would enjoy but that I would also be capable of doing. (It's sometimes a tough thing when I'm definitely not as in shape as he is)

The Oyster Dome is a hike located north of Anacortes and Deception Pass. The trailhead is off of a small highway road and you basically park along the edge and head in. It was very easy to miss. What we learned was, if you pass the restaurant, you've gone too far. It's better to park south of the restaurant than north. Less time walking on the road.



The hike is part of the Pacific Northwest Trail which runs W-E, as opposed to the Pacific Crest Trail that runs N-S.




The hike pulled no punches and straight away set you on a steeply climbing set of switchbacks that was interspersed with lots of roots and stones to avoid.


Looking down and back at the road.


A brief glimpse of the view we were about to be treated to.


As you can see, the incline of the hill was quite steep. Thank goodness for switchbacks.



It was very cool to notice changes in the make up of the forest as you climbed higher.




And because I LOVE this moss.... It reminds me of the spanish moss in Florida.


The 'view' spot. The nice group on the right shared their smoked salmon with us and chatted while we took a breather. One thing that I love about this activity we've chosen is that everyone is SO very friendly when you meet them on the trail. You're all out, enjoying the beauty of the trail and there's very much a common and shared spirit in the people that you meet. It's lovely.

Also, Hi Canada.




The trail junction we took, it's been scratched off, but Oyster Dome was/is at the top of the list.


There was a LOT of stream crossings on this trail so make sure you're hiking boots are nice and waterproof! One of the people we passed and were passed by was wearing tennis shoes that looked utterly brand new (sparkling white) You need something you aren't afraid to get muddy because you will be squelching through muddy spots all through this trail!


A lucky shot. The sun was coming out in fits and starts and we happened to walk by as a few beams hit the rock wall through the trees and I grabbed this shot. I'm amazed at how surreal this shot looks.



The 'trail'. We basically climbed up a glorified stream bed.






Fungi!


Another glorified streambed trail. Note the root system. We went down that in the dark....



Informative signage.




We took a side trail off to see the bat caves, which was definitely an interesting side option. I would really want to come back and explore more. Probably in the summer when the rocks are hopefully not as wet...


The rickety bridge we crossed.


At the bat caves, looking up at the Oyster Dome. Which we then went to the top of. But that's a bit later.




Informative signage in a VERY poor place to read. I'm not even sure how they got it up there.





What followed next after the bat caves was what felt like a near vertical push to the top of the Oyster Dome before sunset. We made it. And I felt like I was going to die. And my mother called me AS we made it to the top. Bad bad time for a call. I could hardly breathe, let alone talk. But the view... oh the view made all that effort SO very much worth it.








We scarfed down sandwiches and string cheese and then bolted back for the trail to try and squeeze any and all remaining light that we could in the descent. We lost the light fairly quickly and let me tell you, a PNW forest is DARK at night. The moon hadn't full risen and even if it had, we were on the western slope and unlikely to see it for several hours.

Thank goodness for technology and free flashlight apps for Android (CURSE YOU BLACKBERRY FOR MAKING ME HAVE TO PAY!) Eric led the way, phone in hand with a steadily declining battery that somehow lasted all the way to the bottom while running our GPS program as well. Between the two we were able to confirm that we were staying on the trail and following the path we took up in the first place. I would also like to give a shout out to those that maintain the white trail pain markers on trees. That stuff is REFLECTIVE and was like a beacon of comfort every time we saw it.



I'm not going to lie and say that we had everything under control. I was scared. I really really was. But we didn't panic and we took our time and carefully made our way back down. Making it back to the viewpoint was such a relief because it meant we were close to the car.


And then finally seeing headlights through the trees and knowing that we only had one more switchback turn.... heavenly. I was extremely exhausted and fell several times on the way down. I was muddy, tired and sore. We will be more prepared next time, and have already taken measures to prevent such a mishap from occurring again. If we had a tent with us, I would have set it up at the top of the Oyster Dome and waited until daylight to descend, but we didn't really have another choice. We did not have adequate protection to be outside through the night.

We are also carrying flashlights in our pack so the phone can conserve battery. Of course we always tell someone where we're going and check in with them once the hike is over. And lastly... we're not going to start a hike like that so late in the day. It was a mistake and we've since striven to take into account weather, daylight hours and estimated hiking time with rest stops.

So, count this one as a lesson learned and we will definitely be more careful in the future.