Clearwater Friends,

Welcome to the 25th edition of The Clearwater Times. Yes, while I was sleeping a quarter century has come and gone and some of you have been coming to the guesthouse just as many as I have. I'm thinking about Paul and Sven, Jerry and Marie, Kitty and Brian, Shirley and Laurie and many others who have been coming regularly, sometimes with their families and sometimes with friends. I really didn't know whether or not this was going to work and I had more than a few friends who thought I was nuts to invite people- almost all of whom were strangers- into that had become my second home. But I liked having new people share it with me. I learned so much about these folks who came from so many places, some from Washington State, others from across the nation and even from more exotic locations like India, Europe and South America. How they stumbled across Clearwater varied but they did to my good fortune. They came to see the Northwest Coast, to hike, fish, birdwatch and beach comb but mostly just to get away from the crowded cities where they lived and worked. The past couple of years they had another reason to get away: the coronavirus. It probably seemed a little less perilous than most conventional vacation spots and for those who had never before booked a private home it probably represented a kind of novelty. At first I advertised it in the most likely newsletters, such as those published by the Mountaineers and the Audubon society, as there was no internet at that time. But in the year 2000 my son, a serious techie, offered to help me create a website and that was the beginning of the Clearwater Times. I had entered the new century. So now that you know how the place began let's catch up with what's been going on in the Clearwater Valley.

Wet doesn't really describe Clearwater last winter and this past fall. It was a time to bring your best raingear, you know, the stuff you were given last Christmas, the expensive stuff. Even the deer and elk that cross the property regularly seemed demoralized. But, as lousy as those months were the summer was fabulous. (except for those three days in June when the temperature reached over 110 degrees). Guests enjoyed swimming and canoeing on the river and spent long hours on the Kalaloch beaches. Outside activities were the rule since most were tired of staying inside during the ongoing pandemic. We felt fortunate to have a break from the constant talk and fear of disease. Life was good again. Pick a handful of raspberries or strawberries, do a little fishing, or cycle down to the Queets bridge and back. Or just relax on the back lawn with a friend solving world problems. That's Clearwater at its best.

Fall salmon fishing was poor due to ultra low flows in the Queets. Worse yet, both salmon and steelhead fishing have now been closed until further notice. Closures have been in effect since December 1st with the only fishing available being that on the Salmon River until the end of December. If you are a fisherman be sure to keep tabs on what's happening with the regulations because the ONP and Washington Department of fisheries frequently change regulations (mostly close them) and you don't want to be waist deep in the river when one of Olympia's finest comes up behind you with his ticket book...

The only good news for hunters and gatherers this past year was mushrooming and the re-opening of the razor clam season. And, in an unheard of move, the limit was raised to 20 clams per person. I believe it will be lowered to 15 after the new year.

Well, that does it for now. Those of you planning on taking some dates in the future are advised to check the 2022 calendar which is now available at the *website. Rates will remain the same as last year. Hey, that's good news, right?

Thanks again for your visits to Clearwater,

Joe

*jnovak@clearwaterguesthouse.com