The story of a girl and her travels
Find me elsewhere too
  • Blog
  • Contact me
  • Blog

Hoh Rainforest: In search of all the greens

5/30/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture

The Hoh Rain Forest--one of the last primeval temperate rain forests in the continental US, and the destination for my long weekend long hike. My first visit here was during a rare summer drought, and I didn't venture must past the first 1/2 km of trail. Having grown up in rain forest country, I didn't expect to be more than casually impressed with the surroundings. I am glad I gave it another go.

I hit the traill by 9:30, which was perfect. It was 2 hours before I saw another human. This turned out to be the perfect hike for me: long enough that I felt it, with enough elevation gain and diverse tread to keep me interested but not too tired.


Picture
Picture
Although I was alone most of the way, I keenly felt the life around me. According to the trail literature, the Hoh has more life per square inch than almost anywhere else on Earth. The Amazon outdoes it in fauna, but not flora. Every surface, except for the human-made trails, is covered in layers and dimensions of growth. Lichens, moss, ferns cover the Sitka Spruce and Western Hemlock and the occasional carpet of dwarf dogwood and other flowers cover ground and tree.


Everything lives and dies in symbiosis here. I suppose that's not unusual for anywhere on Earth, but it's visible here. The recently fallen logs decay into shades of brown, the long-fallen logs support green growth, and the trees provide shade. Everything provides moisture. In the dense parts of the hike, my glasses steamed up, less from my effort than the breathing matter around me. Although it hadn't rained in days, even in the early afternoon the leaves were covered in dew and dampness.

Picture
As often happens on my solo journeys, my mind wanders to weird places. I got a fit of the giggles mid-way through, as the forest suddenly brought me back to my retail days in my early 20's. I had to learn the difference between ecru and bone and taupe, and all the shades of green. Suddenly the trees were customers, and I was saying "That's a nice chartreuse blouse." "You prefer more of a lime? Look right over there. Try this one in kelly green." "Here, shrug on this emerald jacket".



Picture

The Hoh River Trail is a bit of a misnomer, at least for the first 5 1/2 miles. There's a small number of refreshing river views, which bring you out of the forest and into the bright, but much of the hike is deep in the forest. Background music is often the river or one of the creeks, and sometimes it's just the chirp of birds and squirrels (chipmunks?)


I saw a Roosevelt elk on the way back! In all my years of coming to this area, this is the first I saw. There were actually two, but this was the closest. I may have been violating the 100 foot rule, but he came out of the forest in front of me, and I didn't want to move.

Picture
I love the US National Parks. They deserve their recognition. I don't mind paying modest entrance fees ($15/week for the Olympic NP). I can see my fees hard at work with well maintained trails, excellent services at the trail heads, and a relatively clean privy here and there.


My Fitbit was as happy with my hike as I was.

Picture
0 Comments

Lindeman Lake: In search of emerald water

5/11/2015

0 Comments

 
Sore quads. Good pictures. Sunshine. A successful weekend. This is my new favourite Lower Mainland hike--must be the emerald green, crystal clear water plus clean air plus pounding lungs.

I had attempted the hike the weekend before, but the rangers closed it due to bear activity. I was secretly happy, as I don't do steep climbs well, thanks to my general laziness and layers of insulation. But I soldier on. My wonky depth perception troubles me on uneven surfaces, too, which this hike had in plenitude. In retrospect, I wish had taken more pics of the terrain to remind myself that I did it. 


Picture
The beginning of the trail is deceptive--flat and wide. It quickly climbs at the trail head. Rocks, roots, switchbacks, sweat. I stopped looking up because I was tortured by the dots of neon from the fit hikers climbing up, up, up. Evil little beacons.

A quick rest at the graffiti rock, which turned out to be the top of the elevation gain.




Picture
Thankfully, the lake was just a few hundred meters ahead. I immediately forgot the steep.

Picture
The trail guide warned that the popularity of the trail means solitude is no longer an option, and the groups of hooting teens and weekend warriors attested to that. But no matter. The beauty of the water won out.

Picture
In the immortal words of the Terminator: I'll be back. Next time with a friend who will patiently help me over the rockfalls and onto Greendrop Lake a few kilometers further.
0 Comments

    Author

    "There's a big, a big hard sun
    Beating on the big people
    In the big hard world"

    Picture

    Archives

    May 2019
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    June 2016
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2012

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Wheeeeee!!!