I began noticing the fireweed soon after crossing the Columbia River into Washington State. Bypassing Seattle, we continued heading up US route 101 onto the Olympic Peninsula. After a stop for food truck tacos in Forks, WA, we turned onto Burnt Mountain Road toward Clallam Bay.

We were headed toward the home of Donnie and Julianne Arnestad, friends from Baja who sold us the Gregor 20 fishing boat we’ve named The Pelli. (Some mariners will tell you that renaming a boat is bad luck. To the best of our knowledge, our boat has never had a name.) When they aren’t in Baja, Donnie and Julianne live here, on the northern slope of the Olympic Peninsula, between Clallam Bay and Sekiu. Here, they spend their summers fishing for salmon, cod, and halibut, in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Donnie met us at the Breakwater Restaurant, and lead us to their lot, equipped with shore power for our campers and a fire pit out on a point overlooking the water. Here, we returned the Pelli to the water for the first time since leaving Baja, docking her alongside of Donnie and Julieanne’s boat (a Bayliner Trophy) in the marina. After a stop at Olson’s in Sekiu for fishing licenses, we headed out on the water – ultimately landing 3 king and 4 silver salmon over the next three days. It was my first time using a down-rigger, and catching king salmon. I caught two!! It was a fabulous time.

When we pulled up at Donnie and Julianne’s, I’m not sure who was more excited – us humans, or our dogs! JD and I rescued our dog, Alma, in Baja this spring – and upon bringing her back to the beach at Punta Bufeo, she became fast friends with Donnie and Julianne’s Boston Bull terrier, Kilo. When Alma jumped out of our truck, she and Kilo did a brief but dramatic face-off for a few minutes, then resumed wrestling, tackling, and bear-hugging each other like old friends (who happen to express affection by biting one another on the ear and hind leg). After several minutes, we introduced Lee and Kathy’s dog Koko, and thereafter, whenever it wasn’t raining the threesome spent the next three days frolicking and tearing about the property.

Donnie is always working on something. When not taking us out fishing, he was helping us adjust and substantially beef up our boat trailer, making good use of his newly constructed shop. Julianne, when not fishing herself, cooked us spaghetti and shrimp dinners, opening up their cabin to us for much-needed showers and laundry, tending their two fire pits whenever the rain abated, and lending us her spotting scope – when we realized we’d left ours back home in Montana.

Finally, looking at the map and calendar, we decided it was time to go, given our intention to be back home by mid September. Amazing how time can pass so quickly! Booking a 6:30am ferry back to the mainland, we loaded up trucks, campers and trailers and pulled out the night before. Hugs all around, we headed east on the 101 toward the ferry terminal at Port Townsend. With a brief overnight in a casino RV lot, we caught the ferry without a hitch, landing in Coupeville, WA and headed into British Columbia, Canada.