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Washington Peninsula |
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From Oregon we went to the west coast of Washington State and stopped in Ocean Shores for the night. We took a walk on a deserted beach and though the weather wasn’t great, it was still lovely to watch the ocean roiling onto the shore. We had to mind where we stepped as the beach was littered with stranded jellyfish. The following day we drove up to Olympic National Park in north-western Washington and walked along Ruby Beach for a while in the morning. We had our usual fun time making light of the signs warning us that trees can become deadly weapons when tossed about by the waves, and enjoyed annoying the starfish, anemones and sea urchins in the tidal pools. When it started to rain we figured it was an appropriate time to head into the rain forest. |
 Ruby Beach, Olympic National Park, Washington. More info HERE |
| On our way to the Hoh Rainforest we came upon the world's largest spruce tree which is more than 500 years old and 270 feet tall with, a 12+ feet diameter at the "breast" (which I assume is just above the base of the trunk). Strange as it may seem, this natural wonder was marked only by a simple sign that read "Big Pine Tree". That in itself was worth a chuckle. |
Hoh Forest |
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The rainforest was amazing as well; giant trees draped with all sorts of moss. This being the third ‘old growth’ forest we've visited, we were
still amazed at the prehistoric feel of it. Dan described the smell as
mulchy, I called it musty; either way, I’m sure you get the idea. The trees had moss and mushrooms growing on the trunks, and the forest floor was covered with giant ferns. It looked so untouched that we were often unsure what we'd encounter around the next turn of the trail (though our expectations were evenly split between Bigfoot, dinosaurs and
Ewoks). The water in the creeks and lakes in this part of the country is a lovely milky jade color. This is caused by what they quaintly call "mountain flour," a mixture of silt and minerals that wash down the mountain with the snow melt. Despite it's apparent milky look, the water is remarkably clear, and all quite lovely. We took a hike through the woods to see Sol Duc (Sole Duck) Falls late in the afternoon. Naturally, I was soaked by backspash because I wanted the optimal picture-taking point. |
Sol Duc Falls, Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic National Park, Washington |
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