The Dungeness River

The Dungeness River flows north from the Mountains on Washington’s Olympic peninsula along side the city of Sequim and empties into the Strait of Juan de Fuca which separates the United States from Canada’s Vancouver Island (and, coincidentally, my birthplace, Victoria).

Along the way from mountains to ocean, the Dungeness passes the small community where our vacation rental happens to be located.

So this morning I went for a walk.

The Dungeness River

It’s winter, so the river’s running low. The dike on the right protects a small community of homes, and has a trail that’s perfect for walking on and enjoying the sounds and sights.

It’s apparently perfect for more than just walking – if you look closely to the right you’ll see a swing.

It was a bit chilly during our stay – right around freezing as the ice and snow on the ground will confirm, but I can imagine that this is fine place to spend a warm spring or summer afternoon.

The river, of course, is the sum of it’s parts, those parts being the many creeks and other streams that feed it on its way. Not far upstream I came across this nearly still pool that was formed by a creek.

You can’t tell from the photo – heck, you could barely tell from watching in person – but the water is actually moving at a good pace as it crossed over the dike on a man-made spillway. If you look closely at the lower right of the photo you’ll see some standing waves that form as the water begins its exit.