October 8, 2013

Today we took off to Quinault Lake on the western side of Olympic National Park.  This is the beginning of a long stretch of Rain Forest that extends several hundred miles into Canada. The dominant species in the rain forest are Sitka spruce and western hemlock. Some of the trees grow to 300 feet in height and 23 feet in circumference.  Douglas-fir, western red cedar, bigleaf maple, red alder, vine maple, and black cottonwood are also found throughout the forest.

 Douglas Fir

 This one was about 25 feet in circumference.

The downed trees laying on the ground are called nurse trees because they provide food and nutrients for new life.  All of these small plants are growing out of a nurse tree and not the soil.

 This one is a source of nutrition for many insects. Almost large enough to crawl through.

 Many good pictures of the sky through the trees.

 Plenty of moss growing from the trees...sort of reminds us of Savannah.

Vine Maple grows close to the ground and the tree is covered with with sharp barbs similar to a Black Raspberry bush.  This leaf was about 22 inches wide.

 

 A strange formation of a tree growing on a trunk.

Rhododendrons still in bloom.  The hardwood trees here are still predominantly green and haven't started to turn colors.

 Lake Quinault

 The Lodge at Lake Quinault.

 Grammie holding a Broadleaf Maple leaf.

 A world record Sitka Spruce Tree.  191 feet tall, 59 feet in circumference and about 1000 years old.

 We can't imagine what a Giant Sequoia would be like.

 Cascade Falls.

 Beautiful falls that we didn't have to walk to.

 Back at Pacific Beach.  Our room is up over the cliff about 100 feet higher.

 Grammie wasn't sticking her toes in the water but she came close.

 Still plenty of wind today but at least it was on the coast and not inland.

 

All in all, a good weather day...lots of beautiful sights.