Sunday, 3/25/18

Ken Goe has the scoop on the size, scope and secrecy of the Hayward Field renovation

We said Goe (with The Oregonian, the Portland daily) had the scoop, and indeed he did. Now this from this from the Eugene daily, filed about eight hours later. See here. …Good work by both papers.

After some good times with family in Tacoma, we experienced the Olympic National Park. Stayed here. Nice! Yearly rainfall averages 12 feet. Sometime it’s up to 170 inches. That lodge has rainfall records since the 1920s. The rainfall has been the same for all that time. …Anyway, we went there because we wanted to experience the quietest place in the United States, that One Square Inch… …On a day that was rainy, mixed with snow, with a muddy trail. Quite an ordeal just to get to the trail head, to the One Square Inch and Mt. Olympus. (Yes, Mt. Olympus.) Consulting with the forest ranger, we were advised there are no trail markings, guides to the One Square Inch, and that it’s all “NOT SANCTIONED, IN ANY WAY A PART OF THE NATIONAL PARK PROGRAM.” No, the ranger wasn’t yelling, and was otherwise courteous, but wasn’t happy with the goofy people wanting to experience that special One Square Inch. He went on to say the special inch was not on the official Hoh River Trail, but we will see approximately where it is as the goofs have tramped down the flora and fauna thereabouts. …So we tramped for two hours, maybe getting within one square mile of the one square inch, and called it good. It was all good. As green or more as we’ve ever seen. And quiet. But we did hear two jets during the two hours. And our shoes we’re sopping, our feet numb, and called it good enough.

Terrific adventure stories today’s New York Times Magazine