Summer Travel Map

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Check: Northwestern Point

August 29, 2009
Cape Flattery, Makah Indian Nation, Washington

Note: don't forget to click on pictures to enlarge, and to click on the link below to view all the posted pictures.

One of our "projects" (some call them "bucket list" items) is to visit interesting places, especially geographic extremes. We've been to West Quoddy Head Light in Lubec, Maine (easternmost point in the US), Key West's "most southerly point" marker (close the actual point), and Anchor Point, Alaska (most westerly point in the US connected by roads - OK, a stretch). Now, we've been to the most northwestern point in the continental US, Cape Flattery.

Surrounded by the Olympic National Forest and National Park, the Makah Indian Nation Reservation sits on the end of the peninsula along the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Technically a channel, the Strait separates the US (Washington) from Vancouver Island in Canada. Interestingly enough, the border is still subject to dispute and interpretation between the US and Canada, with the US advocating the border be based on equal distances between shorelines and Canada claiming that the border should be the deepest part of the channel. Who knew that there was still an ongoing dispute?

Anyway, we packed a lunch and the pups and headed out mid-morning. North on US-101 and WA-113, then west on WA-112, we had clouds and some fog on the drive. We picked up our tribal permit in Neah Bay and made the drive out to the Cape from there, parking at the trailhead and making the short 20-minute walk out to the point. Well, we might have taken more than 20 minutes, but who cares? we're retired. I give Geri a lot of credit for making the trek, as there was a bit of verticality involved. We got quite a few photos (click here for pictures) and saw some wildlife (mostly birds and the odd sea otter). All in all, a great day trip.

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