September, 2025
Today, I drove south/down the road from Wynoochee, south, away from Lake Wynoochee, away from the Coho Campground, and down to the town of Montesano (it’s the closest town and it’s about 30 minutes away). In Montesano, I filled the truck’s gas tank, checked the air pressure in the tires, grabbed a burger for lunch, and then I headed back north/up to the campground for my last afternoon and evening and night here.
It’s such a delightful, relaxing drive up the road from Montesano and up the road to Lake Wynoochee. The Wynoochee River is often visible from the small country road on that drive. I’ve seen so much wildlife, deer and eagles, and gorgeous horses and lovely cows on the farms, and other wonderful critters on my drives back and forth, on each of the two different camping trips I’ve had here. So I always just slow down and enjoy the drive. If another vehicle comes up behind me and seems intent on getting around me, I always pull over as soon as I can, as soon as there is space, and let those folks go on their way. But that’s rare, there is very little traffic on this road.
So today, on this drive from Montesano back up to Lake Wynoochee, about half way back up the road I pulled over and I stuck my cell phone camera on top of the dash board, and set it to “video” and pushed “go”. I stopped a few times thereafter to make sure it was working, to make sure it had enough battery power, and to re-set the memory so it didn’t automatically shut off, so in the end I had eight separate video files for this drive. The video below is all of those video files snugged up together. They show the last half of the drive from Montesano up to Lake Wynoochee, so about 15 minutes.
I added a few bits of music to the video, so turn your sound on, the first music piece is fairly quiet so adjust your volume appropriately. Then sit back with a nice beverage, put your feet up, and come on along with me on the back country road from Montesano then up to Lake Wynoochee in the Olympic National Park, in the foothills of the Olympic Mountains.
Much of the forest beside the road on this drive had been clear-cut in past years. Most of that is growing back, but still it isn’t what it used to be. But it still is beautiful. And, thankfully, some of the land is still old growth forest, luscious.
The third piece of music is a bit louder, turn your sound down a little bit. But then the fourth piece of music is soft again, so turn your sound back up. My apologies too for the out of focus trees and shrubs along the way. I had forgotten to bring my big camera, so maybe my cell phone had trouble focusing on all of the plant life. And my windshield had a few spots on it too, that didn’t help. 🙂 Don’t forget to look up at the mountains.
The last couple of minutes of the video show the drive into the campground, then through the campground, and finally … finally, back to Towhee the Trailer and my home in the woods. So good to be home.
And yes, later that afternoon, Douglas (the squirrel) came for another visit and enjoyed chomping down on another few propeller leaves that I had gathered for him. Tomorrow I head home.
Spectacular! And so peaceful. thank you!
You are welcome! 🙂
The smoothness of the turns, looking from left to right, feels just like I’m on my boat. 🙂 You sure have the touch.
Rob, I sometimes feel that way when I’m driving … same as at the helm of a boat. Nice that you see that too.
It’s surely no wonder that Washington State’s nickname is the Evergreen State! Noticed the truck carrying a load of cut trees to the lumber yard. That sight catches me every time: I hate the idea of the trees being cut, but then, I live in a wooden house. I have wooden furniture … sigh.
Me too, Jan. I sometimes cringe when I see a logging truck coming down the road, and not just because I don’t want to get hit by one. But … you mentioned to me (and taught me) in an email that there are many many acres of state-owned land in Washington State where the lumber is harvested and sold, and that money goes to support schools and other such things in Washington State … and then the land and those forests are properly managed to regrow to support birds and mammals and such. I really like that. Ok, I won’t cringe quite so much when I see a log truck in the future. 🙂
Oh my I love the music, so peaceful, and the drive is so peaceful too. Please tell us what the music is, yes?
Ah, the music.
First and fourth piece are the same … Evelyn Glennie, A Little Prayer.
Second piece … I don’t know the artist, the name of the piece is “Just Stay”. I found it online.
Third piece … by Heidi Manning from her vlog “The Narrowboat Pirate”, the name of the piece she composed is “Nip in the Air”.
Thanks for asking. 🙂
I don’t like seeing those log trucks either. Let’s stop killing our trees. But my house too is wood, as is my furniture … same as the comment from Janet. Still, that video and music were really great. 🙂 thanks.
Me too, Paul. But what can we do, we all rely on wood. One of the things I don’t like is that when we do cut trees, that companies like Weyerhaeuser then plant ALL ONE TREE TYPE instead of diversifying as nature would. That’s not good for the planet.
Nice drive! Near the end, where you turn left, if you didn’t turn left does that paved road continue on up towards the mountains? And, then, after you made that left turn, and then you turned right, where that other truck/camper was coming out, if you went straight ahead instead of turning right, would that road continue as a paved road? I’m hoping just a regular small car could make some kind of circular drive and not come back down the same road, tho I bet the drive down is equally gorgeous. Or, is there a road that goes clear around Lake Wynoochee? I didn’t mind the fuzzy trees, that was a really nice drive. At first I thought the drive must be really boring, it’s not! Thank you.
Ah, the road. At the end of that paved road where I turned left, it really is the end of the paved road. A gravel forest service road continues, but it gets rougher and rougher up the miles of road into the hills.
And then, AFTER I turned left, and I was still then on a paved road, and then I turned right … then that paved road, had I continued straight on, it too became a gravel road though it has been fairly well maintained and seemed to me that it would be ok to drive a regular car on it, going slowly. It does eventually connect with a paved road, though that’s a few miles on. It’s that drive that might be nice even in a regular car. So drive on up there, turn left, but then don’t turn right but continue on. It is so beautiful up there, oh my gosh you will love it!
Wonderful drive, partly because of the music. What’s the music? Can you tell us?
Thanks Nevada. See my reply to Emily about the music. I love that music. I’m glad you did too. 🙂
Glad you got one last visit with your friend (and ours) Douglas the Squirrel. As someone else said here, I bet he misses you after you left.
Oh Sesapa, I miss him too. I hope he is ok and finding lots of propeller leaves without me. 🙂
I don’t mind the fuzziness in the video either, it was really great, along with the music. The plant life is so rich! So luscious! I liked how the music was so soft and sweet as you came around the corner back to your trailer, Towhee.
Ah, Ruby, yes, coming home should be so peaceful and soft for all of us, yes? Thank you. 🙂
Well done video, so smooth. I didn’t realize there would be so much coniferous forest, but it’s beautiful.
Thanks FG. 🙂
And much (most?) of the forest that was there originally, along that road, before logging, much of the original forest is gone. Washington is known as the “Evergreen State” for a reason. We are FULL of all manner of evergreen trees and rich understory. We love our trees.