Operation Shore Patrol Sep 2024

To compare Tamers to lemmings rushing headlong to the sea – would only be partially correct.  In part – because lemmings really just move to new territories if their population necessitates more living space. Has nothing to do with mass rodent suicide.  The only thing lacking reason Tamers might be doing on Operation Shore Patrol weekend – is to be rushing headlong into traffic – at any time of day or night – and still be foiled in their hope to get to Tidelands early and easily.

I’d heard that Rudi and Melissa started at 8 AM to easily get to the coast – only to be foiled by some rascally semi that overturned on I-5 near the I-90 intersection – holding them up for some numbers of hours.  Mary and I, on the other hand – had heard about that wreck – so we planned to leave by 10 and head down I-405.  Now – to get to 10 AM – took about 3 days of pre-loading the truck with most of the camping gear we own, plus some of the kitchen, much of the bedding, a trailer – and an entire extra vehicle.  And that was post-managing the biggest hurdle of all – which was to have Mary to consent to go actual camping after years of cold, rainy and stormy OSP’s of yore. 

BUT – the national weather service finally took a chance at forecasting sun on Friday and Saturday at least (and we consented to believe that, fools though we may be) – and just the two of us managed to fill the entire back of a full size long bed crew cab pickup and Jeep on a trailer with gear – so we could glamp in finest fashion.  And true to schedule – it was indeed – ummmm – errr – 10:45 when we pulled out of the driveway.  Eh – 45 minutes off – we used to call that “Tamer Time” when the announced time to hit the trail was 9 AM and the wheels finally started rolling 30-45 minutes later.

I-405 at least was moving – but no panacea.  I think it still took an hour to get to Renton – and the rest of the way south was slow.  We planned to pull off at Olympia to get some cash from the bank.  The road seemed to have an unusual ripply surface by feel – but I didn’t think much of it.  But coming west up past Mud Bay and on to the coast – that same bad road surface vibration was still bouncing the truck around, felt in the seat of my pants – getting worse until I started thinking I probably need to check the rear view mirror to see A CLOUD OF BLUE SMOKE AND RUBBER PIECES STREAMING OUT BEHIND THE TRUCK!

Yep – blowout on the trailer at 65 MPH.  Which seemed a little better than the other option – which could have been a bearing.  (I was prepared for either – but a tire change just seems to take less mental energy…)  Fortunately – had a spare, the jacks were not buried, the sun was out, and the tire gave it up at a really nice wide spot in the road.  But – changing that, hitting the Les Schwab in Elma to pick up a new tire, having lunch, coming back to find they hadn’t gotten around changing the tire yet – further messed with the schedule.

Ann-nn-nndd – finally – onwards – the final push to Tidelands!  To where outside of Aberdeen was a poorly marked detour out to the coast.  So – regardless how easily confused I get sometimes – that sucked up even more time as we went to somewhere in the direction of  Humptulips and Copalis Crossing and a few other out of the way places.

BUT FINALLY – 6+ hours after leaving home – Tidelands was in the windshield – and there was still enough light to set up camp and check things out.  Sign in was happening at the clam shack, along with a finger food buffet (can you eat that with your fingers?  No – your fingers should be eaten separately….)  The floor show during nosh was some wheeling polo across the field – enhanced by the fact that the festivities started about twilight – and it only got darker from there.  Driver drove, I think there was a spotter involved, the passenger had a mallet to lean out the window and whack to ball to hit a traffic barrel goal – and some occasional mishaps occurred – Rudi managed to run over the ball and flatten it with a POP!

Home was 2 EZ Ups and cots that first went along with Mary and me in Rubicon 2006 and again Moab 2014 – there was even still some red Moab dust from our 120 miles on the White Rim trail.  (Ah – the memories…) 

We were able to pile enough blankets on the cots that when nighty-night time came – we only froze for about the first 10 minutes until things warmed up.

In the middle of the night – the sky was clear and the moon rose almost full – and – channeling a fall version of a favorite Christmas story –  “The moon on the breast of the stretches of sand – gave a luster of midday across camp Tidelands…”  It was beautiful!

Morning saw the usual hub-bub of folks getting ready to assemble at the
Ocean City beach access – to sign in, pick up trash bags, and some Tamers headed north to Pacific Beach, and some just turned right to go north from Ocean City.  Some Tamers even came down that morning.  I’m sure this is by no means a complete list – I saw Ed and Katie, Malachi in his styling new JK?  JL? He got from his in-laws I think was the story, Roger Mojave, Rudi and Melissa, Evan – in his Chevy pickup for the time being, Darren Rabago (his cat let him come play for the weekend), Rock Doc John was there. I know we got to spend some time with Casey Stokes and Gary Miller.  Also many of the usual Rainier Ridge Ram friends (notable and by no means a complete list Kevin and Jasen) and Tamer from far in my past and long time PNW supporter – Pam Remley and her brother Steve Miller – were Tamers when I started with the club in ’97.  It was great to see them all and have a chance to mingle and chat.

Mary and I have enough aches and pains to instead of continually hopping in and out of the Jeep to wander around looking for trash – instead now stick the rig in low range and slowly crisscross from dunes to water, back and forth – slowly working our way up the beach leaning out with our picker-uppers to clean.  Yes – probably sounds like cheating – but – we were finding plenty of trash even so that we collected.

Pre-lunch was to head north from Ocean City – then hotdogs and chili back at camp for lunch – then south in the afternoon with the photoshoot at 4 at the Shilo.  Mary and I can never be on the beach without keeping an eye out for driftwood calling our name to take it home – and this weekend was no exception.  Of course – it has to be harvested wheeling style –

Which got us some interesting glances as we drove off the beach.

After lunch – south was the destination.  It was sunny, warm and the beach got pretty crowded in town.  Getting ready for the pic later in the afternoon – the radio crackled with a note that an electric Jeep was out of gas – which was puzzling.  I assume a 4xe runs very a very short time on battery alone?  Mary and I were on a mission to get to the jetty on the beach south of town – which was REALLY interesting this year – since the high tide had only just turned; the sand always gets so soft south of town – there isn’t really much beach in any case between the high grass dunes and the water especially at high tide – but there WAS a WHOLE LOT of trees down on the beach – some long enough that they ran from the dune to the water’s edge. 

We finally drove past that last brave stock pickup parked looking to the west – and then – virgin untracked sand – knowing we had another mile or so to the jetty.  We were doing okay in the soft sand at 10 lbs of pressure in the tires – and finally got to a bit of an impasse where the dune was like a wall to the left, and the right end of the log had surf lapping up around it – and I am not really in favor of either salting down Mary’s Jeep nor wanting to take a chance of hitting a soft spot in the wet sand while having technically transgressed the Tamer adage – “never go wheeling alone.”  We were probably past radio range – but some chance I’d be able to raise someone by phone if I had to.  The way through – was to do the Ocean Shores version of rock crawling – which is log crawling.  So – the first crawl was unsuccessful – in that we got the front tires on a log that was about 3 feet in diameter – but right away the rears began to spin in the sand and undercut around the log.  Not good.  I didn’t want to have a dumb high-center incident from being stupid.  So – backed up a little, hit the lockers, and did an Ocean Shores version of a Moab bump up over the log.  A bump, a jump, a bounce and a little tire screech – and we were on our way to the jetty! 

To greet us at the jetty – was one of the larger jellyfish I’d seen in a while.  My foot beside it for size comparison – we think this is what’s called a lion’s mane jellyfish.  Pretty Impressive!

We had managed to collect more trash on the way south and so stopped in at the dumpster back at Ocean City to drop our junk and check everyone’s booty for the day –

Yes – in years past – we might have filled this 40 yard dumpster to the top – but I’d like to think there actually IS less trash than had been the case in years past – and also more groups cleaning up more often throughout the year.  Still – no reason not to perform this community service.  It was a great day to be out in the Jeep, spending time with my lovely Mary and catching up with old friends.

Dinner back at camp was spaghetti or salmon and then the raffle and bonfire once things got dark.  I have to say – full disclosure – Mary and I are kinda partial to the Irish pub in town – and having gotten to town too late on Friday to stop in then – we elected to have dinner in town instead on Saturday – and then after dinner – between being stuffed on beef and Guinness stew with colcannon and soda bread, a glass of Harp, the fresh air, the work of picking stuff up – yep – excitement fiends though we are – I think we were in bed by 8 PM.  Again – much thanks to our friends the Rainier Ridge Rams – who worked diligently to have a nicely organized event.

Another miracle occurred Sunday morning – in that morning was clear with a blue sky then sunny and not raining!  Although – typical seaside dew – our gear was pretty much almost as wet as if it had rained anyway.  No matter – we made some coffee and leisurely packed our gear and got ready to go.  One more round through camp and one last drive up the beach in the Jeep – then tied it down (including driftwood on the winch) and started on a thankfully uneventful trip home. 

It was another long weekend worth having – probably somewhere around our 25^th at Ocean Shores and a good tradition to maintain.

Thanks for readin’  –

and keep on wheelin’!