Evening Walk to Dog Marsh (48 pics!)

Last month, on one of the first springlike days to hit Hoquiam, Wash., I took an evening walk down to my favorite spot on the bay of Grays Harbor.

Anyone who follows my blog will recognize this area, as it is my go-to location for photowalks. But each trip is unique, and I still feel challenged by the scenery: I still feel that I haven't quite captured the area, that there is still a spectacular landscape photo out there, waiting to be discovered.

The site is IDD-1, a Port of Grays Harbor commercial property that has (thankfully) gone undeveloped for decades. IDD-1 has been affectionately nicknamed "Dog Marsh," because of its marshy ground, portions of which have been officially designated as wetlands, and the fact that Hoquiam residents love to walk their dogs here.

A gravel walk runs along the perimeter of the 40-acre site on three sides, mostly along the bay and the Hoquiam River. Here (and in the photo above) we see the view at the head of the walk just inside the west entrance of the site.

The walk leads (basically) straight out to the bay and then hooks a sharp left. I never made it to the bay that day (at least not by following the walk).

First I got distracted by the nearly full moon.

Then, this offshoot leading off the walk to the head of a small tidal inlet enticed me.

According to legend, the name Hoquiam is derived from a Native American word that means "hungry for wood." Supposedly the natives called the river that runs through town Hoquiam because of all the driftwood that gathered on this site next to the mouth of the river. As you can see, the driftwood is still gathering here, and in quite impressive amounts.

There was an unidentifiable bird perched on one of the old dock pilings that you see in the middle of the inlet. It looked like it was feasting on something, so I guessed that it was a raptor some kind. By the time I got close enough to see, I had scared it off with the noise I made walking over the driftwood. Don't worry though; the bird made a surprise appearance later on in the walk, and I got some photos to share.

In the last photo above you can see the extent of the tidal inlet and the bay. The gravel walk around Dog Marsh is off to the left in the photo, but on this day I decided to go off the beaten track and explore an area I've never ventured to before, by walking around to the right of the inlet.

Looking back offered a nice view of Beacon Hill in Hoquiam.

The tide was coming in, and it was a rather windy day, so I caught a few waves.

Near the point of land that meets the bay, the view opens up, and you can see all the way to the Port of Grays Harbor loading facility in the neighboring town of Aberdeen. A ship was at dock next to the loading facility; this is a scene I've photographed many times, just not from this side of the tidal inlet.

Admittedly, the bay here looks more like a river than a bay ... until you consider that the copse of trees on the right stands on an island!

On the point of land next to the bay, there stands a grouping of old dock pilings which I've photographed a lot from the other side of the tidal inlet. I was excited to explore around those dock pilings and take a few shots from inside the group.

The bank above these dock pilings is shored up with some industrial detritus and driftwood. There's some coils of thick wire, steel beams rusting away, and a huge chunk or slab of concrete taken from who-knows-where. The slab is roughly 6 feet square; it forms the perfect platform for a photographer to stand and sweep the horizon (which I did, except in the direction of the setting sun; I'm too cautious about the mirror in my camera to point it at the sun, though it's probably safe).

While I was standing on the concrete slab, the raptor that had been perched on the dock pilings when I began my photo shoot returned (at least I'm almost positive it was the same bird). As I had hoped and guessed, it was an osprey!

It hovered above me for a couple minutes, aided by the stiff wind blowing straight at it, before winging away again. I'm convinced that it was checking me out as much as I was checking it out.

The osprey wasn't the only bird-of-prey in the sky that evening. I don't know what kind of gunship this is, but it was likely headed to the naval base in Bremerton, Wash.

The evening was moving toward twilight, and these migrating ducks were looking to shelter for the night.

I made my way back along the inlet, shooting as I went.

I knew the group of dock pilings I explored earlier would make for a nice photo in the sunset, so I made my way around to the other side of the tidal inlet for a couple closing shots.