July 18-19th
Wildflowers and King Salmon!
Wow time is flyinggggg! I cannot believe we are midway through July. With this warm warm weather it really is a wonderful time to enjoy dips in the water with friends, a cold drink, and warm sunny rays.
hmmmm....let's see what I'm thinking could be fun this weekend!
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The Top Hits
Hiking - Wildflowers
With such lovely albeit warm weather in tow here is the breakdown. Saturday will be ever so slightly cooler than Sunday. Despite what I said it's going to be a warm weekend. Sunshine will be abundant in most parts of the state with the clearest skies around Rainier. Lower elevations look to be eclipsing 80 F in many areas which leads me to my next point. Get high! Not weed hahaha, I'm talking elevation! Two reasons: it'll bring cooler temps and wildflowers abound in the subalpine! These warm temps are encouraging blooms to come earlier than they previously have. I read a report of someone seeing a field of lupines in the Goat Rock Wilderness Area with one of the large volcanoes looming in the background!
Foraging
Salmon, YUM! Chinook aka King Salmon will be open to catch and retain in some marine areas this week. You can take a look below at what marine area is nearest to you and possession limits. Take a look below as the window may be very brief, a few days only. Crabbing is open in many areas as well. Both salmon and Dungeness crab are highly sought after in the state. Take a look at the links below to get started!
Map of the different marine areas.
Fish Possession Limits
Crabbing Guide
Crab Guidelines
Surfing
I wasn't sure whether to include this activity as everyone's idea of good surf is slightly variable based on skill level. However, from a general perspective it actually looks like there are good prospects overall. The La Push area looks like decent conditions are abound for both Saturday and Sunday with the mornings being best due to winds. Westport which is the closest area to surf for much of the Puget Sound looks best Sunday morning due to good winds.
Along the Strait of San Juan De Fuca, waves look ridable with a longboard on Sunday. I'd bring some hiking shoes to go on a hike incase waves are not as ideal as expected as the Strait can be unpredictable sometimes.
Rentals are available in Port Angeles and Westport. For a more comprehensive report of the surf click here!
Rafting
With such good weather in tow. I figured it could be a good time go rafting! It looks like trips are being run on the Skagit River. It also looks to be the last weekend trips may be run on the Wenatchee by many outfitters due to low flow. If paddling the Wenatchee has been on your radar and you're okay with a more relaxed day instead of intense rapids, it could be a great time to go!
More Recommendations
Snowshoes/Ski Touring
With the continued warming, big lines await! I'd reckon few are snowshoeing as you'll have to hike potentially miles before reaching continuous snow. A summer snowpack increases stability and if you are craving those wintery turns they are most definitely still to be had. North faces will be retaining the most snow. Despite diminishing coverage, I've actually read trip reports of great snow conditions. All this to say, get after it!
Diving
Visibility (viz) reports generally are coming in as mediocre as is expected with summer. C'est la vie! If you want to get in the water don't let anyone stop you! There are some reports of viz being slightly better in the 16-20 foot range but this is not the average.
