After leaving Fort Worden we traveled west to Port Angeles, Washington. We rented a house on Lake Sutherland, located west of Port Angeles, to use a "home-base" as we explored the Olympic National Park and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
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| Welcome to Port Angeles, Washington |
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| Look out tower as seen from downtown Port Angeles |
This area was long occupied by succeeding cultures of indigenous peoples. In 1791 the harbor was entered by Spanish explorer Francisco de Eliza, who named it Puerto de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles (Port of Our Lady of the Angels), claiming it for Spain. He was on an expedition from southern California. This name was shortened to the current one of Port Angeles. Port Angeles is home to Peninsula College. It is the birthplace of football hall of famer John Elway and residents include writers and artists.
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| View of Olympic Mountains from downtown Port Angeles, Washington |
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| Ship being tugged into the harbor at Port Angeles. In the background is a narrow strip of land called Ediz Hook. |
Lake Sutherland is located on the Olympic Peninsula about 17 miles west of Port Angeles, Washington. The lake is located just to the east of Lake Crescent. Lake Sutherland drains into Indian Creek, which is a tributary of the Elwha River.
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| The house we rented at Lake Sutherland, Washington |
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| This bald eagle nested somewhere over the house. We heard the eagle several times but didn't see it until the day before we left Lake Sutherland. |
Lake Sutherland lies just outside Olympic National Park and is private land. The lake is surrounded by houses, many of which are vacation homes inhabited only seasonally. Boating and fishing on the lake are very popular.
Lake Sutherland is named for the Canadian fur trapper John Sutherland who, with John Everett, discovered the lake around 1865. The lake contains a population of kokanee sockeye salmon, which spawn in Lake Sutherland and then migrate to Lake Aldwell, to use as their "ocean".
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| Clouds settle down on top of the mountain. View of Lake Sutherland from the deck of our cabin. |
