Friends,

It's time for me to thank you all for your interest in Clearwater and to update you on what's new and what's going to be new for the coming year. Many of you have been coming to the guesthouse for years and have come to think of it as your northcoast home away from home; special thanks to you folks. But, I'd also like to thanks the folks who made a maiden voyage in 2005. I hope you enjoyed your stay and are planning an encore. Return visits are my goal which is why I try to keep the place in good order and offer a 10% discount off regular prices for people making return trips. And, of course, there are some of you who tried unsuccessfully to get dates due to prior bookings. I encourage you to try again as soon as you can come to a decision on dates that fit into your busy schedules. Naturally, the earlier you book the best chance you'll have of getting the dates you want. That is one reason I like to send out this newsletter each January. So, please, go to the website calendar and choose your dates as early as possible. And now the news.

This past summer was the year of the deck/terrace for me. The old deck was ready for the burn pile and the house needed some leveling so I took the plunge-a pretty deep one at that. I don't know how many of you have ever become involved in jacking up and reconstructing the foundation of a home, but, as one of you who does construction for a living told me before I started, "It's not as much fun as fishing." You were right Leif. It wasn't. Then, once I had lifted the west side of the house until the big windows started complaining, I filled in the space which had been below the wooden deck with 25 yards of gravel as a base for about 1,500 keylock bricks which would become the new surface of the deck/terrace. Whew! To make a long story short it occupied my whole summer over there. I didn't get out canoeing, fishing or smelting the entire summer. By late spring I'll have the details done and be able to enjoy the thing. I hope you will,too.

We had wonderful weather during the first couple months of 2005 with many days reaching into the high 50's and even 60's. It really did feel like another world. The tulips, crocus and daffodils were out early and the air was so sweet it reminded me of a year I spent in Hawaii. Then, came March, April and May which were most unkind with too much rain and below average temperatures. Summer was cool but rather dry after the 4th of July and I think my roses were the best ever. Remember to cut some when you're there. Just be sure to cut just above a 5 leaf on the stem. This encourages more flowers to set. Speaking of gardening, you're supposed to pick a few beans and peas while you're there if they're ready. I think some of you are afraid to harvest things in the garden but don't worry. There's nothing quite as good as something straight out of the garden. That goes for the berries on the property,too. Fall and winter have not been good weather-wise at Clearwater as you may have already guessed on this 19th straight day of rain in the Puget Sound Basin. We've just gotten into one of our wet periods and can't seem to find our way out. Pray for sun.

The wet fall had a negative effect on our river salmon season, though there were a few days when conditions permitted excellent fishing. So far the winter steelhead season has been a bust but only because of the rain because lots of hatchery fish have been coming up the river based upon large catches by tribal fishermen both in Queets and at the Clearwater Bridge. Speaking of the Clearwater Bridge, you're going to notice that the pasture just above the bridge has been halved by erosion during the flooding that took place during December 2004. In fact, Jefferson County was forced to spend a pretty penny rip-rapping about an eighth of a mile of that pasture in order to protect the Clearwater Road. This emergency job was done in January when construction crews lucked out by having dry weather and low flows. But, the erosion did show the power of the Queets which at one point reached nearly 100,000 cfs discharge(That's about two-thirds of what the Columbia River discharges during the winter season!). The Queets watershed is just over 440 square miles which makes it the largest on the Peninsula. Add that to the fact that it drains the very wettest segment of the continental United States and you have a recipe for spectacular high waters and that's exactly what we had prior to January of 2005. It really is something to see 200 foot spruce trees come hurtling downriver, their branches flailing, breaking and scouring out the riverbank.

Fred and Betty are still looking after the house for me and remain your contact should something drastic go wrong while there. For those fishermen who need their rigs spotted Fred can help you out for a modest fee. Just call him at 360.962.2130 to arrange things. He's been busy with the farm across the road from the guesthouse lately but he's usually available.

The elk continue to be both a wonder and problem as they show up in Fred's and other pastures nearly every morning and evening. If only they would stay right there rather than coming into my yard and sinking knee deep into a rain-soaked lawn or eating my prize Chehalis apples...

Pepper continues to control demon mouse but she's not too uppity to refuse a nice saucer of milk. She also appreciates anyone who will leave her some food from the stock I keep in the "ping pong room".

This year I would like to encourage you to place compostable food scraps on the yet small pile found just to the south of my little garden on the lower part of the property. You'll see some scraps there. If you decide to help out with this remember not to place any animal waste such as bones, fat, etc. since it will attract raccoons, bobcats, coyotes and catamounts, none of which we need haunting the grounds of the guesthouse. We still don't have glass or paper recycling in Clearwater but you can put your aluminum cans in the round black plastic can behind the house to the right of your entrance. Please, put only aluminum cans in that can and other garbage in the two other plastic cans. And, if you happen to be leaving on the designated garbage pick up day(It's posted above the cans.) I would really appreciate your putting the two cans out to the end of the driveway for pickup. And, if you have room, taking your bottles and paper boxes would also help, especially during the busy summer season when the every two weeks pickup of garbage can be a little dicey.

If you're a clammer it looks like we will have a couple more seasons later this winter and early spring because the three digs we've had since October have been hampered by very poor weather and high surf conditions which held the harvest to a very low level. Keep an eye on your newspaper for notices of clam openings.

The Queets Road is blocked beyond Matheny Creek(the 7 mile marker) due to a slide just beyond the Matheny Creek bridge. As of now it's not known when the Olympic National Park will re-open this stretch. But, I strongly advise those of you who like to drive to the end of the Queets Road for fishing, hiking or just sightseeing to call or write the Olympic National Park's superintendent, Bill Laitner, and ask him to clear the slide and renew access to the upper half of the road. As it is now we're effectively prevented from reasonable access to the Queets Trail since adding another 7 miles to the beginning of the trip simply makes the hike impractical for people with limited time for the hike. Naturally, it also condenses the fishermen into one small section of the river which makes for less than ideal conditions, especially on busy weekends.

You will notice that the property opposite the guesthouse has been logged recently and that a "No Trespassing" sign has been posted at the road's entrance. I am talking with the owner so that visitors can access the river via the usual road. I believe I will be successful but please don't drive down the road in the meantime. It's likely that I'll secure "walking" access but unlikely that driving to the river will be permitted. I'll be sure to leave a notice regarding all this at the house. In the meantime, there is always easy access at the Pioneer Bar (1 mile upriver from 101) and at Hurst Creek Park(2.5 miles upriver from 101) as well as the usual places upriver from the guesthouse.

I have a couple new mountain bikes for your use in the bike shed so go ahead and take a nice ride. Use the small brass key on the keyring to access the bike shed. Bring your own helmets if you plan on riding.

Another thing to remind folks about-especially those of you who visit Clearwater in the late fall and winter months-is the chance of a power outage. I was at Clearwater over New Years and we had two of them in 4 days. To ensure that things don't go entirely south on you in the event of such an outage please be sure to bring a good flashlight/lantern, some extra drinking water and other emergency essentials during this time of the year. The outages usually only last 4-8 hours but somethings-as on New Years Day-they persist for a longer period. You'll need good water and light for such a time. Of course, you'll have heat because there will always be dry wood for the fireplace insert but water and light will be up to you. Finally, in such an event you can use water from the pond out back to flush the toilet.

Rates this year will be the same as for the last two years. Remember, though, to choose dates very carefully because your deposit(one night's rent) is non-refundable.

Well, that's about it for this newsletter. I hope I covered enough but not too much. I do like to keep you all informed about things so that your trips can be as well-planned as possible. It's a long way to Clearwater and good to know a few simple things before heading up. Of course, you can always contact me via phone or e-mail(253.759.8738/joecwnovak@netzero.net or www.clearwaterguesthouse.com) if you need more details. Thanks again for your interest and I hope to see you again soon.

Best regards,

Joe Novak