The second stop on our Pacific Northwest Trek takes us to glaciated mountains, wet Rain Forests and log jammed beaches that make up the character of Olympic National Park.
Olympic is a fine collection of nature's diversity. Rising above all and at the heart of the Park is glacier covered Mt. Olympus stretching 7980 feet above the Strait of Juan De Fuca. Olympic became our country's 28th National Park when established in 1938 to protect and preserve it primeval forests, the native Roosevelt Elk, the incredible mountainous country and the rugged coastline.
What caught my eye as we approached the Lake was the color of the water and how it changed depending upon the status of the sky. This crystal clear glacier-carved lake offers up incredible views from sunrise to sunset. The afternoon we arrived, the still Lake was cobalt grey. As the clouds parted, it became azure blue. The next morning, it had turned a rich Indian jewelry turquoise.
Each morning a thin wisp of a cloud would wander into view looking like the smoke extruded from a distant giant chimney.
We left the Hob back in Phoenix for this trip in favor of "ruffing" it at Lodges like this one. If ever a Lodge deserved to be on the pages of the book Great Lodges of the National Parks...this is it. Yet, it is not to be found there...so I've decided it must be added it to MY book!
Should you find yourself traveling in northwestern Washington visiting Olympic, by all means stay at the old world Lake Crescent Lodge!
Our Cottage
We were nestled up in the Singer Tavern Cottages...rooms 11 and 12. These units were adjoining and capable of housing 6 to 8 people. We needed not such accommodations; however, when reservations are made late in the game...you get what they have available! Our two units had a lakefront view facing north and a deer grazing meadow view looking out the back window.
Not only do these cottages have a sensational setting, the Lodge's restaurant was by far the best we've experienced during our Trek. Incredible salmon, halibut and salads. Great breakfast choices. Magnificent selection of Washington and Oregonian wines.
All that being said, the best digs on property are the Roosevelt Cottages...#35 thru 38. Private. Quaint. Equipped with a stone fireplace. We shall request Cottage #38 when we return!
Terry must have been feeling a bit "randy" when she made our reservation at the Lodge. She signed us up for the "Romance Package". Not only did we get the largest unit amongst the Singer Cottages, we were also greeted with Champagne and Chocolate Covered Strawberries.
Canoes and Kayaks
The three days we spent at Lake Crescent, the wind was minimal, consequently, the surface of the Lake was mirror like. Perfect for paddling a Kayak out upon the clear waters. Because the Lake has very little nitrogen content, the growth of phytoplankton - tiny plants that float in lake waters - is limited. Without these critters, the water maintains remarkable clarity. It is easy to spot a trout swimming 50 feet below the surface.
Olympic National Park is noted for three distinctly different zones. The Rain Forest. The coastal shoreline and the glaciated mountains. The day after recovering from our "Romance Package", we visited the Hoh Rain Forest located on the western side of the Park. The Gods of Good Weather followed us to the Hoh.
Prior to our visit, the Rain Gods dumped a couple of inches on the Trails of the Hoh. This isn't uncommon as this area receives about 12 feet of annual precipitation...hence the name Rain Forest! During our exploration, the sun was shining brightly and attempted to penetrate the dense forest canopy. If you're into mosses, ferns and fungi, these are the trails for you!
The Hall of Mosses Trail is an easy .8 mile loop that features big leaf Maples and Kitka Spruces covered with brown and green mosses. The creek that you cross while on the trail had an eye-catching lime green growth invading its waters and spikemoss draped over the limbs of a fallen tree.
(Double click on the image to enlarge it.)
Big Leaf Maple draped with club and spike moss.
Nurse Logs
The mosses do not damage the growth of the tall trees. The giants that have fallen are typically victims of high winds, soggy soils and a very shallow root zone.
Many of the fallen trees become "nurse logs" for future growth. The downed trees decay very slowly and become ideal environments for the next generation of forest. Seedlings literally take root on top of the fallen trees.
From the Hoh Rain Forest, we headed south and west to the coast. Here the sight of driftwood is common. Fallen trees are driven to the coast by the rapidly moving waters that fill the rivers during the spring snow melt.
The sun poked its rays thru the coastal overcast momentarily, then yielded to the grayness that commonly blankets the shoreline.
Kalalock Beach
Take Highway 101 southbound from the Hoh Rain Forest and you'll pass thru the tiny town of Kalaloch. If you're a Chowderhead, you must stop here and have a bowl of the Clam Chowder at the Kalaloch Lodge. It's as good as it gets.
Walk down to the beach and climb on the logjam that litters the shore. Best time to visit the shoreline is at low tide. During high tide, the logs become virtual battering rams for swimmers who brave the icy cold waters.
The sandy shores are accompanied by thousands of fallen trees as the skies become gloomy. Contrast this scene to the beaches of southern California which play host to piles of seaweed.
Texture in nature captures my attention. The butt end of this hunk of driftwood took me back to the 60's and looked to me to be a psychedelic swirl of chocolate and vanilla ice cream.
The coastline of northwestern Washington is famous for its "sea stacks"....hunks of eroded earth that have been separated from the coastal cliffs by thousands of years of erosion. Many a ship has been sunk by these stacks hidden amongst the dense fog indigenous to the area.
If you are fascinated with wooden bridges as I, the Barnes Creek Trail will not disappoint. The Marymere Falls trail crosses Barnes Creek via the pictured bridge and leads up a steep pathway to the 90 foot falls.
Here we encountered a Nikon Camera Photo Tour Group of Geezers of which blending in would have been easy! These guys were from all over the world. Japan. Canada. Germany. Mexico. USA. Each year, they go online and decide which natural wonder they will shoot next. Last year Yellowstone. This year - Olympic. They all met via an online Camera club comprised of Nikon Geeks. To join their club, they told me that I'd have to relinquish my Canon and start over with their camera of choice!
From the Lodge, the Marymere Falls Trail follows Barnes Creek, passes under Hwy 101 and proceeds over a wood bridge and up a steep trail. The hike is about two miles round trip from the Lodge. This is the area's most popular destination hike. However, once we departed the Falls and headed deeper into the forest via the Barnes Creek Trail...we saw not another single soul.
We found this delectable fungus sucking its life-sustaining nutrients from a fallen tree along the Barnes Creek Trail on our way to Marymere Falls.
I could have asked one of the Nikon Geezers to take our picture at the Falls (and I probably should have) however, the timed delay setting on the Canon is a kick in the pants so I placed the camera on a fence post, hit the shutter button and ran over next to my sweetheart so we could capture this picture.
Banana Slugs abound upon the Barnes Creek Trail. This is the wild life along this Trail! No birds. No squirrels. No Roosevelt Elk. Only Slugs! Everywhere you step. And watch your step as these gooey creatures are difficult to remove from your boots!
Barnes Creek meanders thru a dense Rain Forest thus the trail crosses the Creek and several of its tributaries along the route. These moss and lichen covered bridges have been built from the fallen trees to help hikers cross.
Ok, I'll admit to my weakness for shooting wooden bridges in the wild! This trail takes you up and down the ridges parallelling Barnes Creek. You wander thru an old growth forest carpeted with several varieties of fern. The Sword Ferns were the largest I've ever seen.
The feeling we got was as if we were wandering thru Jurassic Park. It would have seemed natural to see a Stegosaurus munching on the greenery creekside. We envisioned a Brontosaurus reaching high into the trees trimming the mosses from the branches.
From the quiet solitude of our jungle walk we return to civilized life.
First the Romance Package...then the Romance Chairs!
If ever there was a "Cialis Moment"...this was it! Rather than a couple of bath tubs, the Lodge has conspicuously placed two wooden chairs facing the romantic waters of the Lake.
And wine not? The mood is set for our final night at Lake Crescent. The shimmering sun slowly sinks into the still waters. The air cool and refreshing. The Cab in our glasses breathing ever so sensuously. The "Chairs" beckoning for our company....
Ahhh...we toast another terrific Trek!
Sunset at the Lake.
Happy Trails friends. We bid you farewell from Olympic. We have now reached the halfway point of our goal to visit 40 of our country's National Parks by December, 2012. Twenty down...twenty to go!
Tomorrow our Trek takes us to North Cascades National Park...the 17th Park we've visited since June.
And it WAS a "Beautiful Romantic Spot". Cheers to you sweetie.
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