How Foster MBAs Spend Their Weekend: Camping in Olympic National Park

About the author: Ricardo Limon (right) is a second-year MBA student at Foster. He’s currently a finance intern at Microsoft. Before coming to Foster, he worked for FEMSA Logística in Monterrey, Mexico.

One of the best things about Foster is its location — it’s so close to so many great hiking and camping spots.

Back in March, I decided to spend a few days in Olympic National Park with two classmates. From Seattle, we drove to Lake Quinault, and then setup camp at Willaby Campground. We managed to snag a great spot right by the lake.

We spent the day hiking the Quinault Loop trail. It runs around Willaby Creek, and takes you right near a bunch of small waterfalls – the sights are amazing.

For dinner, we cooked burgers, hot dogs, and steak on a small charcoal grill. We even brought eggs and bacon for breakfast. The next day we drove the South Shore Road. The scenery is truly incredible – views of the lake give way to the river, and finally you can see mountains. Along the way, we spotted elk, deer, and many birds (even some hawks). When we reached the coast, we hiked to Irely lake.

For our second night, we stayed in the Kalaloch campground, right near the Olympic Peninsula. There we had a perfect view of the coast, and could watch the sunrise and set over the water.

The next day we made our last stop at Rubi Beach, where we saw a bald eagle hunting for fish.

We were sad to leave so soon, but had to head back for class. Fortunately, it was only about a two-and-half-hour drive back to Seattle. Exploring the Pacific Northwest is a big part of the Foster program. It’s a great way to balance academics, continue to bond with one another, and also enjoy the great outdoors.