Many emblems of the world hold multiple meanings. It is of no surprise that a rainbow holds various meanings of symbolism. A rainbow can be a sign of success after a hard time or a symbol that it is ok to be yourself even if you stand out from a crowd. It can also be a way to describe something that has many different faces and colors. A rainbow expresses itself by claiming that it is not strictly the embodiment of one self, but many. Olympic National Park is also a park of many colors- and yes, it even has rainbows.
The Hoh Rainforest of Olympic National Park. June 26, 2011
It comes as a big surprise to many that the continental United States is actually home to a rain forest. The Hoh rain forest located within the protective confines of Olympic National Park receives an average of twelve FEET of rain. This was the first color of Olympic N.P. that I was able to experience, only a few miles south of my campsite in Bogachiel S.P.
Me, peaking out from a Sitka Spruce in the Hoh Rainforest. Olympic National Park June 26, 2011
The lush rain forest is a lot like you would expect. Temperatures are moderated by the lower elevation and maritime effect of the nearby coast; it rarely drops below freezing or above 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Mosses, ferns and lichens grow all over everything, from the expected soil to the trunks of trees and other woody plants they can cling their sticky roots to. The Sitka Spruce trees are probably the most sought trees to visit, they tower into the sky by more than 20 stories.
The circular rainbow of Olympic N.P.'s Hoh Rainforest June 26, 2011
Looking up into the sky- although the dense rain forest does make the sky patches few- often gives you a view of a rainbow halo. The mist from the humid rain forest rises into the sky, forming a circular rainbow that encompasses the sun. Nearby is the Hoh River, and mud roads lead to the cobbled riverbed that you can drive up onto, right up to the river’s edge. It is a beautiful sight (and a lot of fun for those who drive Jeeps!)
Driving in the mud puddles of Hoh Rainforest. June 26, 2011
The colors of Olympic National park don’t stop there. As I headed south along the coast I was able to visit the park’s 73-mile long wilderness coast. Here the forest meets the Pacific in grand views overlooking rocky cliffs, tide pools, towering rocks in the surf, and boneyards of giant Sitka Spruce and other trees that accumulate at river deltas.
A stream outlet and tree boneyard in Olympic National Park's Coastal Wilderness. June 26, 2011
The coast is breathtaking, a stark contrast against the enclosing, green walls of the rainforest, it opens up into a great big sky and the sea that stretches further than the eye can see. Wildflowers line the cliffs as you look down upon the sandy beach below, and in the distance islands interrupt the endless waves of the Pacific.
The Olympic N.P. Wilderness coast. Washington State, June 26, 2011
Looking back inland you can see the mountainous portions of Olympic N.P., some peaks are still topped in snow, an alpine ecosystem less than a half day’s drive from the temperate rain forests and coastal beauties. Not only does the park have rainbows, it is a rainbow itself.
Tomorrow I will be visiting two more colors of the rainbow of a geologic world- ones I have yet to see in person. What colors will I see tomorrow? I guess you will have to come back to find out.
-Nicole
The tree boneyard in Olympic N.P.'s coastal wilderness. June 26, 2011
Escape from reality is something sought by a majority of society. Whether we read a book, watch a movie or tv show, or play video games we are all looking for a break. Many people even spend a large percentage of their time achieving this goal. Life is so mundane in reality that we have to live other lives within our mind. It is a recent addition to the needs of being human- we used to be too busy working to live to delve into creative arts. Now we don’t only create alternative worlds, we live in other’s creations.
Today was a day where I would mesh both worlds together. A few of the fantasy worlds that I enjoyed as a guilty pleasure when I needed a break from the daily grind, and the real world, were about to come together. As I left Seattle I decided to leave in the only way a Grey’s Anatomy character would: On a ferry boat.
My Jeep, "29" on the ferry boat from Fauntleroy to Southworth. June 25, 2011
My Jeep is the epitome of adventure, and I have been many places in it. So far I have driven on snow, rocks, roads, mountains, deserts and the great plains. Today my Jeep would accomplish something it had never experienced before: it would drive onto a boat and ferry across the bay. I pulled into line at the Fauntleroy terminal where I would board the ship. I enjoyed some more “No Woman” cheese from Seattle’s Beecher’s cheese (courtesy of a relative I stayed with in Seattle) as I waited in line.
Boarding a ferry is kind of like parking at a big event. They line you up in order and direct you into a specific line where you will park as close as possible to the car in front of you. The instant everyone parks they exit and run up to the top deck where they can shelter from the cooler weather and enjoy concessions. I stayed on the lower deck for a while, enjoying the solitude and feeling the sea breeze. I imagined that Meridith enjoyed the same breeze as she stood on the ferry with Derrick. I think sometimes we spend so much time enjoying these alternate realities we forget that these characters aren’t real…they feel real.
I decided to head up to the concession to get a cup of hot tea and explore the rest of the ferry boat. I could stand at the antiqued controls of the boat just like I was the captain. As I sipped my coffee I took in the view of the water rushing away behind me. On the back wall a plaque was placed in memory of the former captain of this ship. Captain David Summerfield Moon was the former first officer, he died in June of 1977 when he went down with his ship in Alaska. The plaque offered no details of the story, but I imagined it to be one of bittersweet courage. A man surely born a sailor and died a sailor.
The ferry boat controls. June 25, 2011. Seattle
After deboarding the ferry boat I followed the coast of Washington, circling around Olympic National Park until I reached the town of Forks. Seattle held the familiarity of the Grey’s Anatomy set without announcing it’s significance. It made the illusion of being a part of the fairy tale more real. Forks, however, announced it’s new found fame every opportunity it had. Businesses left and right claimed to be the place to get Twilight merchandise, and a Twilight fan store on the main road played the theme music on loud speakers into the street.
While I had also become a victim of the Twilight series, so enraptured by the story that I read all four books within two weeks of each other, this Forks was not the one I had in my head. The commercialism had destroyed my fantasy world when it came to Forks. All I could think about is how annoyed the residents of Forks must be with all of the Twilight fans coming to visit. While I was excited to visit Forks because I could see the real life place that one of my fairy tales took place in, I was a little embarrassed to admit I was a fan to anyone.
Forks, WA laundry mat. June 25, 2011
I knew I had to do laundry, so I found the only laundry mat in Forks and sat up shop while my attire swirled in the triple load washers. I went through pictures and looked up some more information on my campsite for the night: Bogachiel State Park . While the scent of gain filled the room as my clothes went through the dryer I chatted with a local girl who was there doing laundry as well.
I went to the local grocery store hoping to get some local cherries. Surely they would be cheaper here in Washington than back home in the midwest. I was disappointed to see that they were $10.99 per lb, so I bought some grapes instead, along with some wines. I was about to have a gourmet meal cooked over a campfire.
My campsite at Bogachiel State Park in Forks,WA. June 25, 2011
Bogachiel State Park was a lot like the forest I imagined Bella and Edward wandering through the rain forest. Everything was so green, moss clinging to the tree trunks, very little of the ground wasn’t covered in ferns or moss. It was, just as the main character of Twilight first described it, an alien world. Too green to be real.
Salmon Berries in Bogachiel State Park Forks, WA June 25, 2011
In the green shrubs I found these salmon-colored berries that looked a lot like raspberries. I decided to try them even though I didn’t know what they were. They weren’t too flavorful, a bit more bland than the raspberries I usually enjoyed. I later found out they were unoriginally called “salmon berries” and were perfectly fine to eat. Let me tell you that I only tried a couple berries and was being a bit adventurous…and I do not recommend anyone try any wild fruits or plants unless they can clearly identify it. As so many television shows and commercials state, “Do not try this at home”.
Prosecco in the Seahawks glass. June 25, 2011 at Bogachiel State Park in Forks WA
For my dinner I cooked some leftover shortribs over the open fire, and enjoyed some Prosecco sparkling wine in my new Seahawks glass I had purchased the day before in Seattle. I chatted with my camp neighbors, two bicyclists that had been on the road for over a week already, and one of them dried their damp sweatshirt over my fire. There isn’t much room for firewood on a bike. It was pleasant to have some nice neighbors and I shared my ribs with them since I had way more than I could eat myself.
Bogachiel State Park in Forks, WA- short ribs on the camp fire. June 25, 2011
I then settled down for the night in my tent, in the dark underneath the shelter of the tall redwood trees covered in green moss. The reality of the worlds I escaped to from time to time in book and television were certainly different than the fantasy version, but they still held a mystique. In a lot of ways, Seattle and Forks both were better in real life than in the mind. The fantasy worlds had met reality today and as the dark closed in it was time for me to create my own fantasy world. Tomorrow brings more reality- although to be honest, I’m beginning to think the reality of this summer is even greater than any fantasy world I could escape to.
-Nicole
Today I took it easy and enjoyed some “Free Exploration” time to get a little more time in with the rural areas of Washington before I headed into Seattle. I started heading in the general direction of Seattle on the highways and took a detour anytime I saw something interesting. I decided to explore the forest service roads of the area and I found some great places to camp in the future.
"29" and me, exploring Washington's Forest Service Roads. June 23, 2011
I ran into an abandoned cabin and decided to wander around it. I took my Jeep up and down the roughly-maintained roads and enjoyed the warm weather. It wasn’t anything too exciting but it certainly wasn’t boring. Oddly, it felt like I was back at home cruising the gravel roads and exploring abandoned farm houses. The roads had a larger distribution of elevations and the weather was a bit cooler than Missouri would be this time of year, but the activity was comforting.
The Abandoned Cabin in Washington. June 23, 2011
Tomorrow I would be exploring Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle. I took a deep breath as I returned to the highway and followed the concrete trail into the city. It’s amazing how quickly your surroundings can change from country to city. I was ready for some city-style relaxation and shopping. I would be staying with a relative of mine for a few days and exploring Pike Place Market. I can’t wait!
-Nicole
Abandoned Cabin in Washington State. June 23, 2011
Did you know that Washington has high desert plains? It has plateaus and mountains, rivers and lakes, snowy peaks and great big canyons? I always thought of Washington as the green state- eternally covered from top to bottom in green plants. There is a lot more to Washington than I thought.
I had planned on visiting Gardner cave so I left Sandpoint, Idaho and headed towards Metaline Falls, WA in the afternoon. It turns out that Gardner Cave, one of the few limestone caves of the state, is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Since it was a Wednesday I was unable to see the cave. I decided to pull out the hand atlas, unwilling to give the GPS another go at control quite yet, and found something labeled as the Lenore Lake Caves and I started heading in that direction.
The Grand Coulee of Washington. June 22, 2011
On the way south I ran into the Grand Coulee. This giant steep-walled canyon was carved by massive amounts of melting glacial waters as the Ice Age came to the end. It was once a waterfall even grander in scale than that of Niagara Falls. It was a 3.5 mile long, 350 foot tall water fall that rushed along carving the landscape into what it is today. The water that remains here today helps the desert wildlife thrive, and it is in this large canyon where the Lenore Lake Caves were carved out of the solid flood basalts.
Looking at "29", my Jeep, from a Lenore Lake Cave
Technically these “caves” aren’t large enough to be considered a true cave. They never transition past a twilight zone, but they do hold some historical significance. About 5000 years ago the natives used these “caves” as shelters. The native people resided here during the spring and summer to collect plants and herbs that were used in religious ceremonies.
Don't wear flip flops when hiking up piles of loose basalt breakdown! June 22, 2011. Lenore Lake Caves
I hiked up the cliffs (in flip flops…I’m a bit of a rebel like that….) and visited the inside of the shelters. They would have been fairly comfortable, keeping everyone dry while still allowing for a great view of the canyon in front of them. Looking down to the parking area my Jeep looked dwarfed. The trail up to the shelters was dotted with several different flowering plants.
A Lenore Lake Caves flower. June 22, 2011
So far my visit to Washington had not met a single preconceived notion. I had been in the typical mountain terrain, I had taken in the views of waterfalls both ancient and current, and watched as this terrain turned from a high desert plain, sparsely vegetated, to a fertile land of farm land enriched by the Columbia river. When I arrived in Wenatchee, WA I finally saw the first thing that truely told me I was in Washington State: Cherry orchards.
As I learned back in the winter of 2009-2010, states are only bounded politically, not geologically or by climate. Washington State has a little bit of everything as I have learned today. Soon I would be in Seattle, experiencing the mighty Pacific Ocean. When I visited Northern Arizona in January 2010 I saw that Arizona was more than desert- it had snowy, vegetated mountain terrain. Today I visited Washington and discovered it wasn’t all cool and green- but it also had desert terrain. Arizona and Washington have more in common than I thought!
-Nicole
