OLYMPIC AIRFIELD BATHHOUSE FUNDED WITH RAF GRANT
Located near the San Juan Islands between Port Townsend and Sequim, Washington is privately-owned Olympic Field, WA45 – what RAF Washington Liaison Ray Ballantyne calls, “an exquisite grass runway 2,500 feet long, bordered by an equally long float pond for float equipped aircraft.” To improve the camping area at the airfield, RAF supporter Jay PerryCook suggested the RAF help build an off-the-grid bathhouse with hot shower in the trees nearby. Property owners Ryan and Marianne Larrance agreed, and offered to provide the water for the shower, and labor and equipment, including an excavator. PerryCook developed drawings, and scoped the project, and Ballantyne was awarded an RAF grant for materials. PerryCook organized other volunteers and they broke ground on August 2.
For the following two weekends, Kyle Williams, Oregon Ambassador Kevin Johnson, Tim Nichols, and Dave Riffle joined Jay, Ray, and the Larrances on the bathhouse construction. They also built a 20-foot stairway and rock pathway down the hill to facilitate access. To share the new facilities, the Larrances welcomed pilots and neighbors for a fly-in and concert August 24.
Ballantyne says that the region is known as the “Lavender Capital of North America,” and Discovery Bay has clean water along forested slopes. Olympic Field offers a quiet and secluded place to camp. Just over the hill to the west is Olympic National Park, with glaciated mountains, temperate rainforests, and the rugged Washington coastline.
If biking, running, or hiking are your interests, the 126-mile Olympic Discovery Trail can be accessed down the hill from camp. It follows the Old Seattle & North Coast Railroad grade.
Ballantyne points out that Ryan’s parents used to host an annual party for neighbors and the aviation community, and this August event marked the 30th anniversary of their first one. “Their last fly-in, they had 400 people! Now the next generation is carrying on the tradition and is also welcoming recreational aviation campers. Just let them know you’re coming,” Ballantyne says. See the Airfield Guide for contact information and field details.
Submitted August 30, 2024
By Carmine Mowbray
Posted in News
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