Shangri la
A gentle ocean breeze caresses my cheek;
sensuous sand and bubbling water swirl at my feet.
Beyond the beach, through filtered sun and mist up high;
the ancient ones of the Olympic forest lie.
Prolific moss on snarled trunks and trees;
the new feeding off the old under a symbiotic canopy.
To the east the Mighty Olympic Alpine rise;
snowy edifices, fierce and mammoth in stature and size.
Heaven on earth, peace and tranquility to the soul;
the Olympic Mountain, Forest and Coast: a trinity to extol.
-p.o.martig
The Olympic National Park in Washington State, is perhaps, one of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring natural ecosystems in the world.
The preservation of this spectacular wilderness park is ongoing and heroic in its efforts. Nearly one million acres are protected as wilderness on the Olympic peninsula: 95% of which are inclusive to the Olympic National Park where 20 plants and animals live nowhere else in the world!
Wilderness forever protects the land’s natural condition, opportunities for solitude and primitive recreation, and scientific, educational, and historical values.¹ It generates hope for a healthier and promising future. In fact, the Olympic National Park was internationally honored as a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site.
The Olympic Trilogy: Mountain, Forest and Coast
I am so fortunate to be a part of The Olympic Experience. I live approximately 10 miles from the Hurricane Ridge Rangers Station, approximately 40 miles from The Hoe Rain Forest and approximately 52 miles from the coast and Ruby Beach (there are many more beaches to mention, but will emphasize Ruby in my post). The Olympic Peninsula is home to eight American Indian tribes. The Quileute Indian Reservation (La Push) and The Hoe Indian Reservation (Forks) are within a short driving window from each other and Port Angeles where I live.
Hurricane Ridge: The Mountain
Hurricane Ridge and receding elevations, adorn themselves with a colorful array of wildflowers when the snow cap recedes and are home to a variety of wildlife such as the Black Tail Deer, Olympic Marmot, Black Bear and Mountain Lion.
Relentless snow in winter solstice is prompted by intense gales and winds, earning the moniker: Hurricane Ridge. These harsh and brutal winds can be unpredictable and promulgate snow at anytime during the year. Visitors should be on the alert for changing weather patterns when visiting the park.
The 12 mile drive to the ridge and ensuing climb to an elevation of 5,242 ft from the parks entrance, is awe-inspiring.
Skiing and snowboarding at the ridge are spectacular and designated hiking trails, when open, are breathtaking. (My husband once hiked the entire 12 miles to the top and back down in a day. He is part Swiss, part Billy Goat, and yodels!)
Below these majestic glaciers, a lush blanketing of deep alpine, subalpine forests and meadows provide sanctuary to abundant wildlife.
I cannot appropriately describe the overwhelming experience that lays ahead for a first time visitor. I vowed, after my first adventure, to visit the park as often as possible and tell everyone and anyone, who would listen, to experience the breathtaking and humbling presence of The Mountain: for the vista, the snow, the wild life, the skiing, the hiking, the ominous clouds and mist, the fresh air and the peace. You will not regret it, I promise.
The Rain Forest
The Hoe River Valley-The Rain Forest
The drive up to the Hoe River Rain Forest exposes the rare phenomenon of nature in one with itself: isolation and sanctuary from modernization. The bountiful and picturesque Crater Lake is your guide for endless miles. its hypnotic beauty enhances your drive and introduces you to the unbelievable.
Most areas within the Olympic National Park have no internet or phone service. Can you imagine that! I sure didn’t like it when we checked into the Kalalack Lodge, a short drive from Ruby Beach, to find no electronic services and minimal amenities. (I heard we were lucky to have towels.) But there was this calming sense of peace when you entered the room: no noise, no senseless chatter-nothing but the hypnotic rhythm of waves hitting the beach, or the melodious cry of the sea birds
After we got settled in at the lodge, my family and I drove the short distance to the Hoe River Rain Forest eager to begin our much-anticipated adventure.
The weather was perfect and mother nature hospitable. The hiking paths were well-marked and easy to negotiate, ensuring that everyone had something to marvel at or photograph safely.
Old and new live and feed off each other as it has for thousands of years. The notion of symbiotic relationships is engaging and never-ending. It provides the heart beat for the mosaic communities living within its amazing forest ecosystem.
Stumps of fallen logs laden with moss and vegetation help provide a habitat for the rain forests countless animals. It is inconceivable to see moss hanging 2 ft or more from trees hundreds of years old, but it is true: natures paint brush at work. You have to see it to believe it.
The Olympic National Park is mother to a variety of forests due to its dramatic differences in moisture and elevation. Rainfall can vary from 40 to 240 inches annually and elevation from sea-level to nearly 8000 feet.
Temperate rain forests like in the lush Hoe River sanctuary grow along the coasts and ocean front valleys. They host a myriad of wildlife and hiking adventures. The Hoe River Rain Forest gets up to 140 inches of rain a year. It’s ancient forests herald some of the world’s largest trees. According to the National Park Service, Western red cedar and Western hemlock can reach 200 feet and the mighty Sitka Spruce and Douglas Fir skywards of 300 ft.
I just loved this wild and untamed place. I go out of my way to tell everyone and anyone to come and experience the forest: for the perfume of pure nature: for the gigantic trees and moss colonies; for the wonderful hiking trails; for the acres of ferns and plants competing for space and food; for the bubbling streams and gnarled limbs and tree trunks; for the quiet; and for the pristine and seamless continuity of life. You won’t be disappointed, I promise.
Ruby Beach-The Coast
Beach time: early morning, the sun shining, feeling good and ready for a long walk in the fresh ocean air. Ruby Beach was a short drive from the lodge so off I ventured with family in tow.
The profusion of logs and snags, perfectly staged by the river that carried them to shore, became our first endeavor of the day. These weathered gifts from the forest bring hours of adventure to hikers, children, photographers and dreamers, like myself.
I was amazed at the perfect blue of the ocean, the number of tide pools and smooth warm sand but especially the awesome rock formations close enough to climb. These rocks are covered with hard, sharp barnacles from years of tidal waters egress and regress. ( I tried climbing one and skinned my poor little hands; not recommended.) Tides control the rhythm along along this beautiful coastline. Twice daily intertidal creatures take the brutal pounding of the surf and winds to make it their home.
Two such creatures are the Solitary Anemone and the Ochre Star Fish. I saw both these animals on my walk and nearly stepped on an Anemone. It looked like a small divots in the tide covered sand, but then it started to move and I screamed!
The timeless beating of the waves on shore put me in a trance. I imagined the long-lost sailors of old trying to land among the rocky outposts and with it their doom. While giving the appearance of calm and serenity, these fickle waves and the ocean that controls them, can change into harsh and brutal savages, challenging anyone who dares enter their domain. Today they are gentle and I am grateful.
Yesterday we had explored the beauty of the rain forest and now at the beach we see those same forests touching the sand. What an astounding feat of nature! Again I felt the way of the time traveler. A sense of going back in time when the mountains, forest and coastlines were uninhabited by man.
An interesting side note on the Olympic Coastal ecosystem, is the plight of the salmon. Coastal rivers serve as pathways for migrating salmon. Downed trees along riverbanks protect the young and venerable towards their sojourn to the sea.
When the mature adult returns and swims upstream to spawn, their flesh carries a special form of nitrogen accumulated from their years at sea. Most salmon die after spawning but with death, like the ancient trees of the rain forest, comes life. Bears, insects, eagles and other animals feed on the salmon’s remains, then deposit the nutrients in rivers and forests. The nitrogen handed down from the salmon to its scavengers, adds nourishment to our forests. Respect the Salmon who sacrifice so much for so little in return.
So much to experience so little time to enjoy. I just loved Ruby Beach and make it a point to tell everyone and anyone to embrace the Olympic Experience- the Coast: for its soft sand; for the rocks; for the snags and logs; for the coastal creatures lurking on the shore and rock crevices; for the awesome ocean and its fickle wave patterns; for the sky dominating forests in the distance; for the magic of the tributaries; for the fresh crisp air and for the wonder of perfection it invokes.
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