I had the opportunity to do some hiking with my hosts in the Olympic National Park. We drove across the bridge from the Kitsap Pen. to the Olympic Pen. and worked our way up into the Hurricane Ridge section of the Olympic National Park. After a brief stop at the visitor center, we continued 8 mi, bouncing along a rutted dirt road in the Toyota Camry. Finally we reached the trailhead to Obstruction Point. A forest fire west of us in Sol Duc brought smoke into the nostrils and the haze into the valleys. Still, the glaciated peak of Mt. Olympus was visible 20-30 miles away, jutting high above the steep and craggy mountain ranges. We had a leisurely stroll along the trail to Grand Lake, stopping often for photographs and to check the map for the name of distant peaks.
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Daniel and I met on the Dalton Hwy back in July in the middle of a snowstorm. We've crossed paths a number of times since then in Whitehorse and somewhere along the Cassiar Hwy, though we never met each other there. He messaged me that he was heading to Seattle so I met up with him after some facebook chats. It just so happened that he was tired of the city traffic and was taking the Bainbridge Island Ferry across the sound at the same time as I was! Cool :) It was nice catching up the night before at the Chittenden Locks while sipping Rum and Coke's removed from his bicycle racks. He's heading south to Yosemite and eventually Argentina so unfortunately I don't think we'll see each other for a long time. Then again...you never know
While talking about art and inspiration with Andrew Morrison the night before, he suggested i head up to 90th and Wallingford to check out some large scale murals he had painted. The feel of his artwork and the scale of these large works was impressive. Using a fork lift, he painted with special sprays 20'x100' murals such as this one below. I consider it an honor to have met him and will look forward to following his work in the future.
http://andrewmorrison.org/ After exploring the more urban areas of town, I decided to ride out toward Discovery Park on the western side of Seattle. I turned down a tunnel canopy of cedars and deciduous trees just turning yellow for fall. Emerging at a view of sailboats along Puget Sound, I parked and made a cup of soup on a sturdy wooden bench. Behind me, the smell of alder wafted from a concrete fire pit behind the center. While enjoying my soup, two of the folks congregated out back walked down to the water with a large video camera and microphone equipment. Stopping to inquire about the Ruckus, I briefly explained my journey and was warmly invited to meet the crowd up near the fire. They were visiting the center to film a PSA for a native group. I had stumbled upon a traditional planked salmon bake they were filming.
I was invited inside to view the artwork and displays, ushered in to a special exhibit for modern native artist Andrew Morrison. I marveled at the detail and passion expressed in his artwork. As it happened, he was seated on the steps outside beneath an enormous animal mural which he personally painted. I was introduced and had the pleasure of sharing stories and inspirations for 20 minutes while the meal was being prepared. I will include some of his work in the next post. He is a world-renowned artist evoking the native spirit and image through strong contrast and intense messages of the dialogue between past and present. |
Mike SaundersIn May 2014 I quit my job to ride a Honda Ruckus over 69'000 mi and counting. Wild camping most nights and cooking most of my own meals, I keep the costs low and the landscape changing. Archives
April 2018
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