Location spotlight: An idyllic dog-friendly beach on Lake Roosevelt

Bad directions from Google, lost keys and rattlesnakes. 

BUT. 

Three dogs, two humans, one dog-friendly beach and the clearest water for miles. 

This session had a little bit of everything.  

Referred by a client from last fall, Dulcie wanted to give her partner Marty a birthday present. 

Me. 

A wild ride to Hawk Creek 

Hawk Creek has been on my bucket list of locations for several years. It’s one of those places I’ve always meant to explore with Bella but not gotten the chance yet. 

Hawk Creek sits at a southeastern tip of Lake Roosevelt, about 40 minutes north of Davenport, Washington.  

I plugged the location into my Google Assistant and let a voice that sounds like Alfred from Batman guide me. One turn showed rugged dirt road, I kept going and let Assistant reroute. The next turn it suggested took me down to an even more rugged dirt road and I noped out of that too, hoping another reroute would get me to my destination. I ended up driving in a very large circle, landing back at the highway I started on.  

And 15 minutes late for my session. 

Dulcie and Marty greeted me with a “bet you got lost” and a laugh. I knew I was in good company even before I met their three farm dogs Cutter, Nia and Doug. 

Jaw-dropping scenery 

The first site of Hawk Creek is stunning. There’s a small bay with a dock that gives boaters, fishers and jet-skiers access to miles and miles of fun.  

A small campground is adjacent to a waterfall but the campground was hopping with people so we steered away. Instead, we took a quick half-mile hike to a viewpoint overlooking Lake Roosevelt. 

I heard the rattler before we saw it. Of course, I had no idea what the sound was (city girl!) until Dulcie spotted its tail and alerted us all, “Rattlesnake!” 

We found a snake-free spot for some family portraits and then made our way farther up the trail to a glorious sandy and dog-friendly beach. 

We let the dogs play and swim and play some more. This was the part of the session I had been looking forward to the most. I had packed my underwater camera and happily jumped into the lake with the dogs. 

And so did Dulcie and Marty!  

We got back to the cars just as that ooey-gooey soft golden light of the setting sun was enveloping the bay. I ordered all five creatures over to the dock and each dog took their turn getting into that light. 

Panic ensued when I couldn’t find my keys. I tore my camera bag apart three times before we decided to hit the trail to search for them.  

Then I realized, I never would have been able to open the hatch on Eddie the Edge if my keys weren’t nearby. Yay! Technology!

DUH! They were in the treat pouch that hangs on my waistbelt.  

Dulcie and Marty showed me an easier route back to Highway 2 and I was on my way home, with the sun setting in my sideview mirror. 

I gave a nod to Mother Nature for all her glory and remembered how fortunate I am to have this job.

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