On Friday, instead of going straight to Port Angeles though, we decided to go around Olympic National Park the long way so that we could see a couple things on the southern end of the park. Unfortunately, to get there we had to drive through Tacoma, which unbeknownst to us has terrible traffic problems. Those problems were worse than usual due to the long holiday weekend that everyone was heading out for. Consequently, we spent a good deal more time traveling than anticipated, and had less time to spend at the destinations we were aiming for than hoped.
We first headed to see the Quinault Rainforest. We went by the Quinault Office Pacific Ranger Station to get a map and some information, and then we headed off along a loop that included the Gatton Creek Trail. Our route took just just over 4 miles of beautiful scenery.
This ended up being my favorite rainforest area that we saw. The vegetation was incredibly dense. The plants clamored over each other to claim every possible bit of ground. Ferns, trees, berries, flowers, and other growing things filled in every inch of space they possibly could. In fact, many plants and trees sprang directly from the remains of fallen and and decaying timber. Keeping those trails clear must take some dedicated efforts.
 |
| Cascade Falls (portion above the trail) |
 |
| Cascade Falls (below the trail) |
I was amazed by just the number of different edible and delicious berries that grew wild here: blueberries, huckleberries, blackberries, salmon berries, thimble berries...
 |
| Blackberries |
 |
| Blueberries |
 |
| Thimble Berries |
 |
| Salmon Berries |
One section of the trail split off into tiny a separate loop that went around and through one particularly massive fallen tree.
 |
| Here we stand in the middle of a large fallen tree |
 |
| Gatton Creek |
At the end of the trail, we followed the road back to our car. This lovely portion of our hike gave us nice views of the lake.
 |
| Lake Quinault |
We concluded our visit of this area by visiting the world's largest spruce tree. It is a roughly 1000 year old Sitka Spruce that is 58 feet 11 inches in circumference and 191 feet tall.
After leaving, we knew our time was limited. We had been planning on driving up to Cape Flattery to meet others at the reunion that evening, but while ordering dinner at a little restraunt along the road, we learned that those plans had been canceled. Unfortunately, we never did get out to see Cape Flattery, which was another longer drive from where we were staying. We did go by Ruby Beach though in hopes of seeing the sunset there that evening. However, as we drove there, our car became enveloped in a thick fog, and it quickly became apparent that we would not be seeing any of the famous sunsets at the beach that night. We still enjoyed the strange and eerie landscape there that the fog gave mood to, despite the severely decreased visibility. Many of the rocky outposts, called sea stacks, that make this place so interesting were completely enshrouded in fog, making them invisible to us.
The amount of driftwood along the beach was also startling to us. We had to climb over huge stacked trunks to get close to the water. These hefty gray dead logs that stretched out for seemingly endless miles along the beach also did their part to further the peculiar atmosphere that evening.
For the reunion, everyone was staying at Nate's cousin Brittany's house. She and her family live on a large lot, so most people set up tents outside. She even set up her drive with a sign welcoming everyone to the family reunion campground. We arrived at her house at about 11:40 and learned that many in the family were gone going cliff jumping at Lake Crescent. This sounded a quite cold to us, but we set our tent up and went to bed as soon as we could.
Saturday after breakfast we headed over to Lake Crescent with the rest of the family. Nate's sister Melissa and her son Max were the only other people there from Nate's immediate family. Because they flew in, they rode in our car and stayed with us for most of the trip. Before heading to the beach first at Lake Crescent, we hiked to the nearby Marymere Falls with Melissa and Max. Unfortunately, I didn't get many pictures Saturday due to a memory card issue, but I was able to get a few. Nate also took a few with his ipod.
The hike to the falls was similar to many of the other hikes in the area that transverse through beautiful mossy old growth forest. Marymere Falls is a picturesque 90 foot tall rush of water framed by brilliant yellow green moss.
After our hike to the falls, we headed to the lake's beach and ate lunch. Then we played some in the water and took turns kayaking. There were a few little kayaks that were sized well for kids, so Austin enjoyed having a turn in one of those. He also got to ride with his Uncle Cliff in a larger kayak. Nate and I took larger kayaks across the lake from where we were and back.
After leaving the lake, we went to see Sol Duc Falls by ourselves, since other family members had gone there the previous day before we arrived. After another beautiful stroll through the forest, we came to this interesting waterfall. The Sol Duc waterfall is found at a place where the Sol Duc River fans into three streams that crash 50 feet into a crevasse. The mist of the falls often creates a rainbow above it, which we could see some of while we were there.
The family ate an early dinner that evening at a screened in pavilion at Salt Creek. We arrived late due to our Sol Duc hike, so we ate quickly and then headed to the beach there. We enjoyed puttering about on the wet rocks, watching the waves come crashing in, and peering into the little tide pools to see little creatures like sea anemones, sea cucumbers, and hermit crabs.
We did not return to sleep in our tent that night. Knowing that Brittany's showers would be overwhelmed that evening and the next morning, we stayed in a hotel room instead, which we shared with Melissa and Max.
No comments:
Post a Comment