2. Places
  3. Travel

Olympic National Park, Washington, 2006

My 25th Anniversary trip to Olympic National Park was a complete success from start to finish. Enjoy the travel log through my (and my travel partner's) imagery. In certain situations, I've included some side-by-side comparison images from my summer on Mt. Olympus in 1981. I'll leave the global-warming conclusions to you.
Read More
  • My backpack and I winged our way to Seattle on August 11, 2006. This is Phoenix at sunset. I booked the trip in mid-August to coincide with Western Washington's best chance for good weather.

    My backpack and I winged our way to Seattle on August 11, 2006. This is Phoenix at sunset. I booked the trip in mid-August to coincide with Western Washington's best chance for good weather.

  • I met my climbing and travel partner for the trip, Kim Scholle from Rhode Island, and we caught the ferry across Puget Sound the next morning.

    I met my climbing and travel partner for the trip, Kim Scholle from Rhode Island, and we caught the ferry across Puget Sound the next morning.

  • Seattle is such a great and beautiful city to visit, and never more so than when the weather is nice. We'll be back to tour the city after we've finished our climb.

    Seattle is such a great and beautiful city to visit, and never more so than when the weather is nice. We'll be back to tour the city after we've finished our climb.

  • The drive around the Olympic peninsula on US 101 is gorgeous. This is Lake Crescent. It's a freakishly deep body of water.

    The drive around the Olympic peninsula on US 101 is gorgeous. This is Lake Crescent. It's a freakishly deep body of water.

  • After two days of travel by plane and car, it's finally time to make the rest of the way on foot. We start at the Hoh River trailhead. This is in the famous Hoh River temperate rain forest on the west side of Olympic National Park.

    After two days of travel by plane and car, it's finally time to make the rest of the way on foot. We start at the Hoh River trailhead. This is in the famous Hoh River temperate rain forest on the west side of Olympic National Park.

  • My recollection of this forest is quite a bit different than these images show. It's almost always overcast and therefore much darker and frankly, mysterious and even at times a bit scary in this rain forest. I like that -- any place that can illicit an emotional response is welcome, yet rare in my experience. In a lifetime of backpacking, I've never been in another forest quite like this.

    My recollection of this forest is quite a bit different than these images show. It's almost always overcast and therefore much darker and frankly, mysterious and even at times a bit scary in this rain forest. I like that -- any place that can illicit an emotional response is welcome, yet rare in my experience. In a lifetime of backpacking, I've never been in another forest quite like this.

  • There is literally no surface that does not support life in this environment. Factoid #1: It rains, on average, 138.65 inches (11.55 feet) per year here. Perhaps that has something to do with it.

    There is literally no surface that does not support life in this environment. Factoid #1: It rains, on average, 138.65 inches (11.55 feet) per year here. Perhaps that has something to do with it.

  • Here Kim provides a bit of scale for you. Ferns the size of adults. And everything else gets much larger from there. The large tooth maples, douglas firs, silver firs, western red cedars, and sitka spruces are the dominant species in the Hoh Rain Forest and they reach 300' tall all over the western slopes. The largest known individual specimens of several species are in this forest.

    Here Kim provides a bit of scale for you. Ferns the size of adults. And everything else gets much larger from there. The large tooth maples, douglas firs, silver firs, western red cedars, and sitka spruces are the dominant species in the Hoh Rain Forest and they reach 300' tall all over the western slopes. The largest known individual specimens of several species are in this forest.

  • This is a nice example of the hanging forest. An entire micro-ecosystem exists on this individual large tooth maple. I know it's hard to gauge the scale of this monster; let's just agree that it's probably even bigger than you think it might be. (Despite what the exif data says, this image was shot with my 10-20mm lens' widest setting which is equivalent to a 16mm field-of-view (100°+). I did not crop the image. NOW you should be impressed with the size of this specimen.)

    This is a nice example of the hanging forest. An entire micro-ecosystem exists on this individual large tooth maple. I know it's hard to gauge the scale of this monster; let's just agree that it's probably even bigger than you think it might be. (Despite what the exif data says, this image was shot with my 10-20mm lens' widest setting which is equivalent to a 16mm field-of-view (100°+). I did not crop the image. NOW you should be impressed with the size of this specimen.)

  • In a couple of places the trail wonders close to the Hoh River.

    In a couple of places the trail wonders close to the Hoh River.

  • Factoid #23: Hoh in the local Indian dialect means white. That's because the water is literally a milky white color from the rock flour that is in suspension in the water. The water here is 2-4 feet deep and you know that a typical mountain stream's waters are crystal clear. The glaciers flowing down Mt. Olympus' slopes grind the rock that underlies the ice into a flour that the melt waters carry downstream. Factoid #47: There are no fish in the Hoh River because the rock flour fouls their gills. photo by Kim Scholle

    Factoid #23: Hoh in the local Indian dialect means white. That's because the water is literally a milky white color from the rock flour that is in suspension in the water. The water here is 2-4 feet deep and you know that a typical mountain stream's waters are crystal clear. The glaciers flowing down Mt. Olympus' slopes grind the rock that underlies the ice into a flour that the melt waters carry downstream. Factoid #47: There are no fish in the Hoh River because the rock flour fouls their gills. photo by Kim Scholle

  • The Hoh River valley is very deep and narrow and prevents one from seeing much that's outside the valley until you've gained a considerable amount of elevation. This view of Mt. Tom which stands just west of Mt. Olympus is the best hint of what awaits at the end of this trail.

    The Hoh River valley is very deep and narrow and prevents one from seeing much that's outside the valley until you've gained a considerable amount of elevation. This view of Mt. Tom which stands just west of Mt. Olympus is the best hint of what awaits at the end of this trail.

  • At best, it's just a little glimpse.

    At best, it's just a little glimpse.

  • That's me -- former ranger, your guide and photographer. I am 6' 4", 230 lbs for purpose of scale. I told you the trees are big. photo by Kim Scholle

    That's me -- former ranger, your guide and photographer. I am 6' 4", 230 lbs for purpose of scale. I told you the trees are big. photo by Kim Scholle

  • Kim poses with the same pair of western red cedars.

    Kim poses with the same pair of western red cedars.

  • Another western red cedar I named Elephant Tree. I'm 6' 4" tall and have a 6' 8" wingspan. This tree wouldn't fit in my master bedroom. And hello, I'm Russell, your guide today. photo by Kim Scholle

    Another western red cedar I named Elephant Tree. I'm 6' 4" tall and have a 6' 8" wingspan. This tree wouldn't fit in my master bedroom. And hello, I'm Russell, your guide today. photo by Kim Scholle

  • My most efficient pack ever, and it still weighed 70-75 lbs. including 13.5 lbs of food. Oh, and I also carried my Canon EOS Rebel XT body and 3 lenses. I used every single gram I carried except about 1 lb. of food. It really hurts carrying this much. As a ranger I carried around 90 lbs., but I was far more resiliant at 22 yrs of age. As a ranger, though I was scheduled on duty for 10 days, and off for 4 days, I would stay in my duty area, exploring and climbing on my off days. That meant I needed to carry 21 days of food as that's how long I'd stay at my backcountry station before I'd hike out for resupply. I slept in a bed only 1 night a month!

    My most efficient pack ever, and it still weighed 70-75 lbs. including 13.5 lbs of food. Oh, and I also carried my Canon EOS Rebel XT body and 3 lenses. I used every single gram I carried except about 1 lb. of food. It really hurts carrying this much. As a ranger I carried around 90 lbs., but I was far more resiliant at 22 yrs of age. As a ranger, though I was scheduled on duty for 10 days, and off for 4 days, I would stay in my duty area, exploring and climbing on my off days. That meant I needed to carry 21 days of food as that's how long I'd stay at my backcountry station before I'd hike out for resupply. I slept in a bed only 1 night a month!

  • One of scores of natural bridges over tributary streams. Back in summer 1981 we had a drought, but the streams never went dry. This is indicator #1 of possible climatic change since my last visit.

    One of scores of natural bridges over tributary streams. Back in summer 1981 we had a drought, but the streams never went dry. This is indicator #1 of possible climatic change since my last visit.

  • The silver trunks of long-ago burned trees. Even rain forests burn so be carefull with your campfires, especially in drought years like this.

    The silver trunks of long-ago burned trees. Even rain forests burn so be carefull with your campfires, especially in drought years like this.

  • As shadows lengthen on our first day, Kim and I made camp on the gravel bar at the Olympus Ranger Station campground. This camp location affords us a break from the abundant mosquitos. The icy river water and cool sand feels really good to our battered feet too.

    As shadows lengthen on our first day, Kim and I made camp on the gravel bar at the Olympus Ranger Station campground. This camp location affords us a break from the abundant mosquitos. The icy river water and cool sand feels really good to our battered feet too.

  • Day two starts off as spectacularly as day one.

    Day two starts off as spectacularly as day one.

  • Retreat from the gravel bar.

    Retreat from the gravel bar.

  • Photo Sharing
  • About SmugMug
  • Browse Photos
  • Prints & Gifts
  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Contact
  • Owner Log In
© 2023 SmugMug, Inc.