Before we started on Olympic National Park, we had to get there first. The choices, drive 4 hours to drive around the inland water going all the way south to Tacoma...and then North to Sequim...or take the ferry. We arrived early and got on an earlier ferry.
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It was a nice sunny day out on the water.
Mt Baker in the background.
Sitting in the van waiting for the ferry to arrive in Port Townsend.
Our first plan was to drive up to Hurricane Ridge. We both agreed that this was even more beautiful than the cascades. More so because we were higher up and could see a combination of skies and mountains.
Mt Olympus
After reaching Hurricane ridge (5242 feet), we took a trail that got us even higher. It was a fairly easy hike, but after spending a day at sea level, it took a little extra breathing.
This time of year the forests are really a lush green.
On the distant mountain, nature still hasn't repaired the damage from the fire of 2003.
On the hike up, there was the remnants of a chair lift.
Activity at the ski lodge is just a memory.
As we were hiking up higher, we met FiveBuckDuck riding on the back. Facebook fivebuckduck
Today (Sunday) we drove over to the Hoh Rain Forest, a little over 100 miles.
We took 2 hikes, the first the Spruce Trail. Over 90% of the large trees are the Sitka Spruce and Western Henlock. The trees that eventually fall become nurse trees for new growth.
The horizontal trees are the nurse ones. Much of the new growth comes from the dying ones.
In this tree that has been down for years, you can see the new growth growing up.
There was a Maple grove of trees that you wouldn't recognize as Maples unless you looked above the moss.
More Maples
Leaving, the Hoh Rain Forest, we headed for the Pacific. We reached Rialto Beach.
There are small islands just off shore.
A good way to travel off road.
We were surprised to see the amount of huge driftwood (drift trees) laying on the beach.
Grammie taking a rest on the driftwood.
We made is back to Port Angeles for dinner down by the water.
A rock Octypus at the children's playground by the water.
Thanks for looking after Grammie.
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