Shaky foundations

Rod posted an ominous photo of the Enchanted Valley Chalet in Olympic National Park, taken by Ben Durrant. 

Enchanted Valley Chalet -- doomed

You can see the effect of the winter storms since I was out there in January.

On a similar note, we have a little VIX breakout today that bears watching (by bears).

VIX uh oh ...

If you subscribe to Bob McHugh's technical newsletter, you know that he had one of his handy phi mate turn dates scheduled for this past Monday, 5/13 -- when we made the high on SPX.  The next few weeks will tell us how significant this high may be.

Enchanted Valley Chalet threatened by East Fork Quinault River

After seeing the news about the Enchanted Valley Chalet in Olympic National Park, I took advantage of some sunny weather last weekend to hike out to see the old girl before she is gone.  I've hiked through this area countless times, either as a destination, or on the way to somewhere else.  Last Saturday, I hiked the East Fork Quinault trail as a 26-mile dayhike, moving fast and light.

Enchanted Valley Chalet

Another big storm -- a 4" or 6" deluge -- will wash out what remains of the riverbank and undercut the foundation of the 1930 building.

It was a beautiful winter day for a hike, crisp and clear.  I left Seattle at 4:00 a.m. to get to the trailhead early enough for our short winter days.  Roosevelt elk are a common sight in the in the low valleys this time of year.

East Fork Quinault trail

Roosevelt elk near O'Neill camp