May 17: to da Hoh

Rainforest of course! We were smart to camp right next to the ferry and were awoken to the sounds of the ferry boat (as Anderson predicted the night before as we set up camp), got ourselves together and took the short trip (about 1/2 hour) to Port Townsend from which we would continue on to Olympic National Park. As Anderson navigated the winding roads and abrupt changes in speed limit we realized how fortunate we were not to have ventured to the park the night before.

We inevitably had to pass some opportunities to explore towns along the way, determined to spend as much time as possible in the park itself. We got gas in Sequim, known for their lavender. Though our timing was unfortunately about two months early for the lavender festival, when Anderson rolled down his window we both thought we smelled lavender in the air, before we hit the gas station. Port Angeles looked like a cute town by the water, and we stopped to ashamedly take advantage of their wal-mart in search of fuel for the camp stove. Wile they didn't have the fuel we needed, we did score plenty of food for the next few days of camping. Gwen's quest to find more jiffy pop was foiled, so the search must continue. We did meet an overly helpful woman in the wal-mart who directed us to Swain's, an all around outdoor and garden supply store, where she believed we might find the camp fuel we needed. Her directions were spot on, though they did not carry the correct fuel either. We pressed on.

The drive was beautiful! Lush greens all around, moss covered towering trees and all around views of the snow capped mountains. The surrounding water overlooks on this incredibly scenic drive were of clear blue glacial water, courtesy of the snowy peaks above us. We stopped at a pullout by Crescent Lake to appreciate the purity of the water, which was icy cold for a brief photo opp and kept on.

As the drive became an elongated series of saddening views of logging operations that skirt Olympic National Park, Gwen took advantage of her passenger status and caught a little nap until we arrived in Forks. Some of you Twilight series buffs may recognize the name of this town, as it was the setting for Twilight, etc. Bella had good reason to dread moving to Forks. There isn't a whole lot going on there, just one main small town drag of shops, many of which boast of the Twilight connection, advertising Twilight souvenirs, tours, and firewood. We opted to not take the Twilight tour, surmising that we too may be at risk of coming under the spell of the local vampires. A quick stop in the local Ace Hardwear proved successful as we were able to find our much needed cooking fuel! Without delay we headed the last 12 miles south on 101 to the Upper Hoh Road that leads you about 8 miles into the Hoh Rainforest.

Logged forests quickly gave way to lush moss-carpeted tree branches, Sitka spruce, western hemlocks, red alders, cottonwoods, and huge ferns in a variety of shapes and sizes. The Hoh River flows just to the south of the road, weaving through the dense rainforest among smoothed pebbles and rocks worn from centuries of glacial runoff. The river is a chalky light blue, running full of tiny sediment of ground rock from further up in the mountains. The river bed is much wider than the river itself and is flanked on either side by younger alders and cottonwood trees that will eventually give way to the spruce and hemlocks as the forest matures. At a pull off, we stopped to bask in the sun and appreciate the views of snowy peaks, glacial waters, and beautiful shades of green all around. At this point we still had not officially entered Olympic National Park or the Hoh rainforest. The last few miles before the park were full of little farms nestled amongst the forest. We imagined what an amazing experience it might be to live there, though completely removed from the rest of civilization.

Anderson made Gwen take his photo with the Hoh rainforest national park sign - yep, he's that silly tourist guy, and with the photo in the bag we headed into the rainforest. There really aren't words enough to describe the experience of driving into the only temperate rainforest in America. The scale of the trees is immense, lending to a sense that this place is sacred. Forest encloses all around you, moss sweeps in the breeze, clinging to overhanging tree branches. There is a quietness and reverence to the place that is calming, pure, full of an energy that can only come from such verdant and fertile environs. After stopping at the visitors center to pay our fees for the night and inquire about hiking, we selected a campsite less than 100 yards from the Hoh river. The weather was sunny and cool, a few small clouds drifting past, and small chickadee sized birds flitted here and there as we set our tent up on a grassy patch near wildflowers, mossy logs, and the sound of the river. We had to keep reminding each other that we were truly camping IN A RAINFOREST!

We took advantage of the extended daylight hours to complete two short hikes on the Hall of Mosses trail and the Spruce Nature Trail, totaling about 2.5 miles of oohs and aahs. Both trails provided interpretive markers along the way, written with a poeticism befitting such a landscape. Gwen was particularly drawn to the description of the "tapestry of mosses" and we took our time to inspect around logs and in creeks for plant or animal life that would surprise and excite us. The Hall of Mosses trail provided great views of an old growth rainforest, with a short spur off the main trail to a grove of maple trees whose sprawling branches are shrouded in sweeping mosses. We enjoyed trying to differentiate between the huge variety of ferns that are present, including sword ferns and lady ferns, which appeared to be the most present. We didn't see any animal life aside from some robins on these hikes, but we learned a great deal about "nurse logs." During storms, huge trees blow down, often times knocking down other trees in their path. With sunlight and uninhabited ground being scarce in the rainforest, downed trees provide a valuable real estate for seedlings trying to take hold. Over time, these logs become the growing grounds for colonnades of new trees. Eventually the nurse log will decompose, leaving buttress roots with hollowed out spaces under them where the log once was. We made many attempts to capture the colors, sizes, and shapes of the plants we saw, though no photo can truly do justice. As the sun moved lower in the sky, the lighting afforded us views through backlight shadows of silvery green mosses.

After not having dinner the previous night due to our last minute bolt to try to catch the ferry, a hot meal of beans and rice proved delicious. Gwen was particularly excited, it being her first camping beans and rice experience. We quickly devoured the delicious food next to a blazing campfire, patiently waiting for the stars to turn on. The sound of the river provided a soothing backdrop for our memories of the day and excitement for the next.