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.
OK, that sounds creepy. An adventure session with me and a spot in the Tails of the World, a book project featuring dog photographers from all over the globe. This is my second year participating and I’m happy to represent the Inland Northwest of the United States.
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.
All around the circle
I am always on the hunt for a dog-friendly beach and I’m so glad to add this spot to my list of locations. Hawk Creek ranks right up there with Farragut State Park for epic scenery.
My friends in the pet photographers blog circle are focused on dog-friendly beaches this week.
Click the link at the bottom of Courtney’s post to continue through the circle. When you find yourself back here to Bella’s adventure in Spirit Lake, that’s when you know you’re home.
Right where you belong.
And if you’re looking for dog-friendly hikes closer to home, download my hiking guide:
Google loves to pull the ol’ “just hang a right onto this super sketch gravel road, up this mountain, in your 2-wheel drive rental, in the rain, and you bet there’ll be an entire herd of sheep trying to cross as you hope to not slide backwards down the road, in 100m…” move all the time here. Worth it though for this EPIC location.