Beaches, Rain-forests, and one angry elk

The last four days I have been spent exploring the expansive Olympic National Park in the Northwest corner of the US.  The park is huge and doesn't have many direct roads, so it was full four days of driving and hiking.

Maple Grove in Hoh Forest

The first two days I spent in the Hoh Valley, a temperate rain forest that receives more than 100 inches of rain a year ( I got lucky, as it has been sunny the entire time I've been in Washington).  Here I was able to explore the depths of the ancient moss covered woods.  It was on one of these hikes, early in the morning with no one else on the trail that I stumbled upon one large bull elk.  He wasn't as excited to see me as I was to see him, so I didn't hang around very long for an extended greeting.  These wildlife encounters have been the theme of Olympic, as I have seen a far greater amount of animal life than in any of the previous parks: Elk, tons of deer and birds, coyotes, and even a few Olympic Marmots.  All of it has been great to see (when you aren't by yourself staring down an angry "cow with antlers".

One of many deer

Its a Marmot!

He isn't very happy to see me

My little camp in the Elwah Valley

On the third day I headed to the North edge of the park, a much more traditional temperate forest area.  But first, I took a detour out to Cape Flattery to view the most Northwest point in the continental US.  It was a long drive and cloudy when I got there, but it was still surreal standing on the edge of the country.  After that was a drive to camp in the Elwah River Valley.  Interestingly, the Elwah River had been dammed for the last century, but a recent dam deconstruction (supposedly the largest ever in the US) has let it flow freely.  I drove up a side road to see the now drained lake, but only got a patchy view through the trees.

The lighthouse at Cape Flattery

On my last full day in the Park, I headed up Hurricane Ridge to view the snow capped peaks of Olympic.  The view was spectacular.  While Mt Rainier was impressive because of its size, the Olympic Mountains were breathtaking in their width; at the top of Hurricane Hill, you find much of the horizon filled with glacier peaks.  After a day spent hiking the hills, I headed down for a much needed shower and early bedtime.

After a short stop Tuesday in Auburn, WA to visit a roommate and get a much needed night in a bed, I am now off to my last Washington Park, North Cascades.  I'll be there for four days, before turning for the long journey east.  Until next time!