Whew! What a month! As I write this thank you and update to all my Clearwater friends and visitors the sun has finally re-emerged and, according to today’s forecast calls for sunshine and temperatures in the mid 50’s next week. But, I don’t have to tell you folks how rough this past month has been, do I…At Clearwater we had well over a foot of snow, enough that when I arrived there the 28th of December I had to shovel my way into the place. Metal roofs are great but when the snow load finally decides to yield to gravity it pretty much all comes off at once leaving a berm-in this case about 3 feet high- around the entire house. But, I tunneled my way in, got a fire going, found Pepper the cat in her lair above the ping pong table and within an hour or two had the temperature at a pleasant 70. I’ve never seen so much snow in the valley and, of course, when it warmed up after New Years it came off with a vengeance. The river rose to over 90,000 cubic feet of discharge per second-14,000 feet more than the Columbia River at Priest Rapids dam. It was a good time to stay home and read about the rainforest. Our New Years Eve party was spared a power outage, something all our Clearwater neighbors viewed as a good omen for the year ahead. On December 12th a huge windstorm had torn through the valley knocking down the usual quota of trees, taking out power and giving all of us a pretty good scare. There’s nothing quite like being witness to huge hemlocks and spruces as they crash to the forest floor. At one point my fishing partner and I were forced to cut our way back up the Queets Road to get back to our truck and boat trailer. You’ve never seen a couple hemlocks bucked up and disposed of faster than those two. It was like a NASCAR pit stop with everyone aware that time was of the essence if we were to avoid being trapped in the forest by other falling timber.

All of this brings up the matter of preparation prior to any winter trip to the guesthouse. It’s just a good idea to bring along a lantern, flashlight, some bottled water and gas camping stove at this time of year. That way the worst consequences of a sudden storm can be avoided. At the guesthouse visitors will always have heat by using the woodstove and dry wood we provide but when the power goes out the electric range, water pump and lights will go away, sometimes for just a few hours, sometimes for a day-or two…
Be prepared!

And now the news…
As I write this issue of The Clearwater Times the rivers are just now dropping from flood stage. Within a few days steelhead fishermen should be able to fish the Salmon and Clearwater Rivers and, if the forecast is correct, the Queets should be fishable by next weekend. Before all the weather fishing had been decent on the Queets and Salmon Rivers whenever they were in shape. But, the early fish were very small, “hatchery mutants” a local guide called them. We look forward to some nicer fish coming in the months ahead.

Razor clamming has been closed at Kalaloch for over a year now but will re-open later this winter/spring if things go as planned. The closure has apparently brought back clam populations to good levels and the Department of Fish And Wildlife is just waiting for them to reach a better size. Clamming was terrific at Copalis and Mocrocks earlier this fall but it’ll be nice to dig a little closer to home. Watch your local newspaper for opening dates.

Our fall salmon season was productive early but November was a bust. Large coho made up the bulk of the early catch but we weren’t allowed to keep chinook this fall, in spite of the fact that quite a few big, bright fish seemed to be around.

This was a great year for mushrooms since we had early rains in August and no serious frosts until mid-November. If you enjoy chanterelles why not make a visit next fall and find your own secret spot.

Smelting was not good this summer, though some folks did well in June. I always seemed to pick the day they stayed off shore so I had lots of time to contemplate the surf off Beach 4. I saw whales, seals, otters, cormorants and lots of other seabirds but nary a silver surf smelt swam ashore for me to dip.

The Upper Queets Valley is now accessible via the West Boundary Road which leaves Highway 101 7 miles south of the main Queets Valley Road. There is signage as you drive north on 101. From that point you have a 14 mile drive to the end of the road and the Queets Campground, 10 miles paved, 4 miles good gravel. But, with the storms we’ve just had I’m curious to see the condition of this access road which was just re-opened this past spring. The main Queets Valley road still ends at the Matheny Creek bridge 7miles up from highway 101.

It was a tough year for my little garden because we had regular rains throughout the summer but visitors and I did manage to harvest our share of tasty veggies.

I kept the deer out of the garden by using garden netting. If you’re having trouble with deer at home, try it. I know, I know, it looks a little less than quaint to surround them with the net but at least you’ll have flowers. Deer have become a huge problem for gardeners in recent years. Even here in my northend Tacoma home I’ve had to protect my garden from them by using netting. They’re beautiful animals but do lots of damage wherever they overpopulate and lose their fear of human settlement.

Reservations can be made on-line by going to www.clearwaterguesthouse.com or calling 253.759.8738

Rates will remain the same as they have for four years now. And, I will continue to offer my spring special between April 16 and June 10. The special gives visitors 3 nights for the price of two (i.e. $100 for 3 nights, $200 for 6 nights) full-priced nights. As always, outside of the spring special period, returning visitors will receive a 10% discount on their total bill. Check the website under “rates” for a complete summary of rates.

Again, I remind you all to pick your dates carefully in order to avoid cancellations. The non-refundable deposit is due within one week of your original reservation and the balance a week prior to your first night’s stay.

Housekeeping can be arranged at the time of your reservation if you prefer to have someone else clean the house at your departure. But, to arrange for this service we need to know in advance since the person who does the cleaning needs early notice.

I hope to hear from you soon and would like to thank all of you for your past interest in the guesthouse.

Sincerely,
Joe Novak

This mailing goes out to folks who have previously stayed or inquired about the The Clearwater Guesthouse. If you prefer not to receive further newsletters let me know and I will remove you from my list.