Traipsing Through the Rainforest

As you walk through evergreens shrouded in club moss and witness elk munching on the low-lying branches of century-old trees, the Hoh Rainforest may feel otherworldly. Avatar or Tolkien’s Middle Earth come to mind. Within the diverse patchwork of Olympic National Park’s ecosystems, the Hoh Rainforest is recognized as a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage site. Annual precipitation ranges from 140 to 167 inches. The competitive environment is abundant with epiphytes, multi-layered canopies, and undergrowth that ensures the covering of every square inch with vegetation (with the exception of human trampling evidenced by the picture above).

Roosevelt Elk Herd

On our way into the park we spotted a wilk herd of Roosevelt Elk.

Nurse Log

I was previously unaware of the nurse log phenomenon. As a fallen log in the Hoh decays over a span of up to 300 years, the weight of living organic matter actually increases with time. Seedlings vie for space on the log, their roots grow around the log, and a row of trees results, as if planted by humans. In the image above, for instance, three sitka spruce are perched on the remains of a nurse log. Eventually, when the nurse log completely decays, a colonnade of trees will remain.

Ranger Walk

We attended a guided hike led by a ranger knowledgeable of every species we spotted. Prevalent tree species include Sitka Spruce, Western Hemlock, Western Red Cedar, Douglas Fir, Big Leaf Maple, and Vine Maple.

Hoh Rain Forest

Intertidal Zone

The tidal pools of Tongue Point Marine Life Sanctuary at Salt Creek Recreation Area are among the best in the Pacific Northwest. When you stand beneath the Douglas firs on the coastal edge at low tide, acres of intertidal pools lie between you and the Straits of Juan de Fuca. If the fog isn’t obscuring your vision, you can discern the outlines of passing cruise ships and Vancouver Island in Canada. We camped at Salt Creek for four days while exploring the local marine life and the abandoned fort and pillboxes nearby. Chris’s parents joined us on this first leg of our trip.

Intertidal Zone

Accompanied by two marine biologists, Chris’s parents, we set out every morning to Tongue Point to explore the nearby intertidal zone at one of the lowest tides of the year.

Zone 4 Tidal Pool

We started at the low tide fringe where the waves were breaking as the tide rose. The range of marine critters within the tidal pools varies from the littoral to subidal zones. In the zone 4 tidal pool above, you can see purple sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus), green sea anenomes (Anthopleura xanthogrammica), and kelp. The anenomes recoil upon human touch and blossom beautifully when submerged.

Sea Life

Limpets, horse barnacles, and red encrusted algae can be seen in this tidal pool. We also found tide pool sculpen, clingfish, sea cucumbers, gumboot chiton, and various species of starfish nearby.

Gooseneck Barnacles

When you pass by the gooseneck barnacles, you can sometimes hear them whistling.

Island at Salt Creek Campground

This island is accessible at low tide only. We explored its perimeter for octupus in vain but instead found robin eggs among the island’s ferns.

Bald Eagle

From the island, we sighted a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) being harassed by a throng of shorebirds.

Lugworm

Lugworms (Arenicola marina) are responsible for the coiled sand castings that surround the colorful kelp.

VIDEO

Red Sea Urchin Walking

In the video, a red sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus franciscanus) uses its spines to crawl across Chris’s hands. One of the longest-lived species, the red sea urchin has radial  symmetry along five planes.

*Special thanks to friends Anne and Dave for securing a much sought after campsite at Salt Creek and offering invaluable advice for our southbound journey.

Salt Creek Campground

Before heading south, we explored the tidal zones and old growth forests of Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula.

Rainy Day Records

If you wish to find where the 1960′s hippies settled down, Vashon Island is supposedly the resting ground. But if you ever wondered where the hippies are still being grown, Olympia is the happening place. Amplifying the relaxing Seattle cafe attitude, Olympia has an eccentric kick to its culture emanating from the local art and music scene and Evergreen State College’s youth with KAOS Radio. Alongside the mainstream political and business culture of Washington State’s Capitol, the eclectic but niche downtown Olympia skate shop pictured above features custom skateboards, converse high-tops, incense, and album and film collections rivaling the trendiest vinyl shops of NYC.

Ford Econoline 350

This summer, Chris Hooper (Webb Class 2011) and I are journeying on a road trip from Olympia, WA to southern California. My objective in blogging is to convey what it is like to travel by RV down the West Coast. I will be posting infrequently due to limited internet access. Above is our 27′ C-class Bravo Econoline 350 under preparation to leave.