Two Climates, One Day

Rainforest and sea caves in the same day?  I never would have thought it possible until yesterday.  In addition to being almost one million acres, Olympic National Park is 95% wilderness, which makes it very difficult to explore in a short period of time.  Really, it is three parks (or completely separate microclimates) in one.  While staying at Kalaloch Campground on the beach, we hoped to explore both the temperate rainforest and the ocean tidal zone.  We decided to start our day in the Hoh Rainforest.

The Hoh River Trail is the path that hikers hoping to summit Mt. Olympus must follow to reach the mountain’s base.  But rather than walk the entire 17.3 miles to Glacier Meadows, we decided to sample just a small portion to get a taste of life in a temperate rainforest.  From our first steps onto the trail, we entered a world unlike that we know in the southeast… moss-covered tall trees surrounded by ferns waist high.  It wasn’t as moist as I had imagined, but the evidence of the rainy season lingered in the dense color of green that blanketed the forest from its floor up into the tops of its tallest trees.  There was no telling which way was north by the side of the trees the moss was growing on here.  Even the trail bed was softer somehow.  We meandered along, following the river as we took in our surroundings – listening to the unfamiliar sounds of birds that don’t sing in our own backyard and stopping to admire the delicate white flowers springing from the forest floor.

Before we knew it, we had walked about three miles and reached Mineral Creek Falls, a 60-foot cascade that feeds into the Hoh River, deciding it was the perfect spot for enjoying our lunch.  We each found a soft spot to sit created by a nursery log, providing nutrients and support for other trees to grow – their only way of surviving in this dense forest.  We laughed and giggled, teasing each other and imitating the unique faces each of us has – the kids had a special giggle with my “serious” face, the one I use to let them know that I am not pleased with their behavior without using words…especially useful from across a crowded room.  Then after a few more moss and tree photos and a bit of time playing in the water, we decided that we were ready to head back and move on to exploring our next area – the beach with its sea caves, stacks, and tide pools.

After chatting it up with an especially helpful ranger back at the visitor’s center, we headed for Second Beach, northwest of Forks.  With the tide information in hand, we were hoping to make it there in time to see the afternoon low tide and be able to explore some sea caves and see anemones and sea stars that would be revealed by the retreating waters.  Up and over a small rise, we came upon the foggy beach – seemingly wild and untamed.  The sea stacks loomed over the coast as natural sentries, guarding its unique landscape and the creatures that live there.  We wandered slowly at first, checking out the few anemones found among the barnacle and mussels-covered rocks, then headed south toward the cave we could see being revealed by the tide going out.  Our natural curiosity led us two miles down the beach to check it out.

Our walk was rewarded with anemones galore!  We even spotted a few sea stars clinging to the rocks on the point just around the bend.  Abby discovered that pouring water back over the top of the mussels would cause them to open up and emerge briefly, which entertained her for quite some time.  At one point, she became so engrossed in what she was doing that a wave rushed in rather quickly and covered her boots almost up to her ankles…  The off-duty backcountry ranger and her companion (a ranger from Yellowstone NP) who were also exploring the area commented that it would have made a great advertisement for Vasque as the water ran right off of her Gore-tex boots without a drop penetrating the exterior.

The whole experience was surreal.  Rainforest in the morning and sea creatures in the afternoon…  As we walked back along the foggy beach, wind blowing in our face, I felt like I had just had a personal encounter with a living aquarium.  But my stomach was rumbling and it was a long drive back to the camper where dinner still had to be made.