The Washington Coastliner Expedition
July 1 - July 14, 2007 | $2,800
For those who love “surf and turf,” this 15-day expedition combines wild Pacific beaches, beautiful fir covered islands, and excellent rock-climbing all centered around Puget Sound and the Olympic Peninsula.
Orientation & Backpacking
The trip begins on Day 1 when the participants arrive in Seattle and meet their trip leaders. From there we will be traveling to the wild and woolly Pacific coast through the Olympic rainforest. This is one of the longest undeveloped coastlines left in the United States. After a day spent packing our backpacks and getting to know each other, we will embark on a three day hiking adventure that will take us across rocky, wind-swept beaches and over the headlands of this amazing area. As the hike unfolds, we will be watching for whales on the horizon, examining giant purple sea-stars at low tide, and camping just above the waves each night.
Sea Kayaking
After hiking, we will travel by ferry to the amazing San Juan Islands. Made up of twenty-eight islands, this is prime sea-kayaking territory. We won’t have time explore every island, but for the next three days we will have plenty of time to spot Orca whales, paddle by incredible rock formations, camp out on small wooded islands, and ride ocean currents. If time allows, we may have a chance to experience some of these islands by bicycle as well.
Rock Climbing
From there we will travel to Fidalgo Island, home of Mt. Erie, also known as “the Rock.” This granite outcropping will be our rock-climbing headquarters for the next couple of days. We will scale its cliffs, rappel off edges and challenge ourselves on new climbs each day. From the top we can look back at beautiful views of the territory we’ve just paddled and hiked.
Wrap-up
Our last stop on the trip is a whale watching tour, our final chance to see the amazing pods of Orcas and other whales, sea otters, seals and sea lions up close and personal. On Day 15, sooner than we all hope, we will travel back to Seattle and the end of the trip. Even though our adventure is at an end, we won’t have to say good-bye, because with friends like we’ll have become, we know we’ll meet again. And one thing is for sure, we’ll never forget our Coastliner Expedition!