Schafer, a peaceful river walk

July, 2024

This morning I woke to another gorgeous, bright sunny day. I put on my hiking boots and headed out the door to find out if what the internet said was true, that there was a trail along the north side of the Satsop River. The Satsop river runs right along the northern edge of this campground.

[Note … blog reader Steve W asked in his comment to the first blog post of this camping trip if he remembered correctly that there was a trail here, and if I’d hiked along this trail … I did Steve, and your memory is perfect.]

The campground is on the south side of the river. You can get down to the river at a few places from inside the campground, on the south side of the river. But the longer trailer runs along the opposite side, the north side of the river. I walked out to the road, outside of the campground, and then walked across the bridge over the Satsop River, to get to the north side of the river. And then I found the trail. That internet map was spot on!

As I was starting my trek along the trail, I met two very nice adults with three very active children … all of whom were having a wonderful time. Have to admit I was glad they were just ending their hike and were leaving the trail, those kids were active! Other than those folks, I saw no one on the trail during the three hours I spent on that trail. I could see a few people on the campground side (the south side) of the river, but none on the north side where I was. Well, ok, I saw birds, and fish, and I probably saw small mammals and bugs. So, I guess I did see lots of lovely people. 🙂

At the beginning of the trail was the sign below. Click to enlarge … take a look at the map in the lower right corner. I walked along the river trail to the point where it turned inland, and then I turned around and came back along the same river trail.

So, let me start at the beginning of the trail, where that large BLACK star is in the sign above. Around the first corner of this trail, it opened up to the grassy area below and a sign that said “East to the right” and “West to the left”. It didn’t say anything about the river, but I figured the river had to be to the right, east, and so that’s where I went. East. In between those trees, through the dark spot there.

Ah, the Satsop River. 🙂

 

The Satsop River is a really pretty river. I wish I had remembered to take a video so you could hear it, such a restful sound. On the other hand, as in the photo above, the moving water does eat away at the river bank and sometimes a tree will fall. But that’s all part of regular life here. (click to enlarge photos)

The photo below shows another spot where the river bank was washed away and what the result was for that tree.

The trail/path here was so pretty. It was narrow and didn’t seem used a lot, but I liked it that way. 🙂

 

In the photo below, you can see a couple of people out on that gravel bar in the distance. They were on the campground side of the river.

 

 

 

For the photo below, I’d just come out onto a gravel bar on my side of the river, just shy of a 90-degree bend in the river, to find a fisher-person fly-casting. I snapped several photos and then finally got this perfect one (below) of the line in the air and the sunlight glittering off the water droplets along the line. Later this same day, back in the campground, I walked around until I found that fisher-person. We had a great conversation. I showed her the photos I’d taken; she loved them! She gave me her email address and I emailed all the photos to her. And she gave me permission to use this photo in my blog post of this camping trip. It was such a joy to have that interaction. People are so wonderful, aren’t they?

Anyway, back to my morning walk along the north side of the Satsop River …

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even the path itself was fascinating, with the roots and dried leaves and green plants and splashes of sunshine.

Eventually I reached the part of the trail where it turned and went inland. So I turned around and came back along that same trail, along the river. And then I arrived back at the bridge, and crossed back over the Satsop River, and walked back to the campground and my trailer/home … Towhee the Trailer.

What a perfect morning.