Quinault Rainforest, Olympic National Park, WA, USA
It has certainly become a tradition for us to take our guests to the Olympic National Park. This time around we have explored a new area for us: Quinault Rainforest. We only got to spend a couple of hours there and did only about a quarter of what we have planned, but we were still astounded by the beauty and diversity of this place.
We have spent our time in the area called South Shore - fittingly, the south shore of Lake Quinault. Here there is an absolutely beautiful lodge with native elements. We intended to take a look inside, but ran out of time...
The lodge overlooks Lake Quinault. In the photo you can see only about a quarter of this vast lake. It is possible to drive around the lake - it's only 33 miles. Well, actually, it's exactly the distance that would count as a "relaxing bike ride" - so we are hoping to come back with our bikes in spring, stay at the lodge or on one of the many campgrounds in the area and bike around the lake...
In the South Shore area there are a number of 0.5-1-mile trails. As "experienced" hikers we scoffed at those distances and allocated about an hour for them. Don't be fooled like we were! The trails wrap around in interconnected loops, each "only 1 more mile", so we ended up walking for 4 hours on those trails with a constant "just 0.5 miles left to exit"!
But the forest itself is gorgeous. I have never before seen such diversity of forests on such a short trail.
There are a number of rivers in the forest, and its in those rivers that I have seen salmon migration for the first time:
Can you imagine this: for sometimes hundreds of miles salmon come back from the ocean to the stream where they were born. In addition to just getting there, they also fight with each other! Notice the white spots on the fish in the video - that's how much they got battered on their journey. Only 2-4% of them will survive to come back to the ocean, all females.
Quinault rainforest is actually called the "Valley of the Rainforest Giants". We were hiking under the tallest trees I've seen in my life. For example, just look at this maple leaf that Photographer is holding:
The name "Valley of the Rainforest Giants" was given because there are the greatest number of record size giant tree species in the smallest area in the world here. We have seen only one of the champion trees here out of the 5 easily accessible, but we are definitely coming back to see the others!
World's Largest Spruce Tree: 58'11'' in circumference, 191' feet tall, about 1000 years old.
Scale:
Looking up the trunk of this tree - the branches of the tree look like full-grown trees themselves!
We were leaving the valley with a feeling that we have seen such a small part of it. A mere glimpse. But we'll be back! :-)
We have spent our time in the area called South Shore - fittingly, the south shore of Lake Quinault. Here there is an absolutely beautiful lodge with native elements. We intended to take a look inside, but ran out of time...
The lodge overlooks Lake Quinault. In the photo you can see only about a quarter of this vast lake. It is possible to drive around the lake - it's only 33 miles. Well, actually, it's exactly the distance that would count as a "relaxing bike ride" - so we are hoping to come back with our bikes in spring, stay at the lodge or on one of the many campgrounds in the area and bike around the lake...
In the South Shore area there are a number of 0.5-1-mile trails. As "experienced" hikers we scoffed at those distances and allocated about an hour for them. Don't be fooled like we were! The trails wrap around in interconnected loops, each "only 1 more mile", so we ended up walking for 4 hours on those trails with a constant "just 0.5 miles left to exit"!
But the forest itself is gorgeous. I have never before seen such diversity of forests on such a short trail.
There are a number of rivers in the forest, and its in those rivers that I have seen salmon migration for the first time:
Can you imagine this: for sometimes hundreds of miles salmon come back from the ocean to the stream where they were born. In addition to just getting there, they also fight with each other! Notice the white spots on the fish in the video - that's how much they got battered on their journey. Only 2-4% of them will survive to come back to the ocean, all females.
Click to viewQuinault rainforest is actually called the "Valley of the Rainforest Giants". We were hiking under the tallest trees I've seen in my life. For example, just look at this maple leaf that Photographer is holding:
The name "Valley of the Rainforest Giants" was given because there are the greatest number of record size giant tree species in the smallest area in the world here. We have seen only one of the champion trees here out of the 5 easily accessible, but we are definitely coming back to see the others!
World's Largest Spruce Tree: 58'11'' in circumference, 191' feet tall, about 1000 years old.
Scale:
Looking up the trunk of this tree - the branches of the tree look like full-grown trees themselves!
We were leaving the valley with a feeling that we have seen such a small part of it. A mere glimpse. But we'll be back! :-)