A Sunday evening show in Shelton, Washington was the perfect excuse to take a trip up the state's own not-so-little fjord (Hood Canal) and paddle the scenic Dosewallips river. Yet another example of how amazing the pacific northwest is, the lower section of the Dosewallips feels like paddling three different rivers.
The run kicks off with straightforward but constant class 2 rapids. The river doesn't slow down for about 3 miles. As soon as the first real pools between rapids appear the river makes a right turn into a vertical walled gorge with the biggest rapids on the run. The soaring rock walls fence in easy pool-drop class 3 rapids for a short but scenic quarter mile.
Exiting the gorge we found ourselves in a mellow section of river lined with lowland Cedar and Alder forests disguising the numerous houses that lined the banks. While many of the state's best trails were packed with people taking advantage of the holiday weekend, we were the only three people on this section of river all day!
We followed up the river trip with a late lunch at my favorite taquiera in Shelton, and I set up for the evening's performance.
Wilde Irish Pub is a great new(er) bar in the heart of downtown Shelton. They feature amazing food, great beer, and some of the best mixologists in Mason County. Unfortunately Shelton isn't exactly a tourist hub, and with the holiday weekend it was a slower night than expected. That said, the performance footage was some of the best I've gotten this year! Looking forward to getting back out there, but I'll be more selective of the date.
留言