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By nature, you are an adventurer
By nature, you are an adventurer
By nature, you are an adventurer, full of amazement and
curiosity about a world bigger than life itself. Learning about
cultures in faraway lands fascinates you, and engaging in new
experiences gives you an...
Golden BC Canada, The Outdoor Sportsman's Paradise
Golden is a village of 10,000 population situated in the confluence of the British Columbia and Kicking Horse rivers in a long deep valley between the Rocky and Purcell Mountain ranges in eastern BC, at an elevation of 790 m [2591 ft] located at the...
How to ensure a safe boating excursion
While boating is relatively safe, much safer than driving a car, there are still enough boating accidents to raise some alarm signals as to why boating accidents occur. In an effort to eliminate or reduce the number of boating accidents that occur...
Mexico Beaches – Cabo San Lucas And Acapulco
Mexico beaches come in all shapes and sizes. Two of the most famous areas are Cabo San Lucas and Acapulco.
Acapulco
You’re probably already familiar with Acapulco if you ever watched the Wild World of Sports on ABC. Acapulco was exhibited...
Small Town - Big Fishing Problem
Port Renfrew is a small Canadian town with a major fishing
problem. The problem is the sport fishing is great and only
a few people know that.
We arrive in Port Renfrew in late afternoon. Port Captain
Quigley greets us at the entrance to Osprey...
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Olympic National Park - A Photographer's guide
Whether you are a photographer or just enjoy beautiful scenery,
Olympic National Park has something for you. Often
referred to as "three parks in one", Olympic National
Park encompasses three distinctly different ecosystems -- rugged
glacier capped mountains, over 60 miles of wild Pacific
coast and magnificent stands of old-growth and
temperate rain forest. These diverse ecosystems are
still largely pristine in character -- about 95% of the park is
designated wilderness.
Activities to enjoy while in the park are but not limited to:
backpacking, beach hiking, camping, fishing, flora
gazing, horseback riding, mountaineering, photography,
skiing, snowshoeing, star gazing and wildlife watching.
A variety of ranger led programs and activities are offered
throughout the summer at a number of sites around the
park. Free campfire programs, interpretive walks and
talks are offered during the summer. Current schedules
are printed in the park's free newspaper, available throughout
the summer at visitor centers and ranger stations.
My first trip to Olympic National Park occurred during late
August. After spending about a year of researching the
available sites to visit, I narrowed my trip down to
what I believe are the most beautiful features. By no means is
this list complete, but my visit only lasted 3 days. In
that amount of time, there just simply isn't enough
time to see everything. The following is my "Must See"
list of places to visit. Hoh Rain Forest
Located about 20 minutes south of Forks, Washington off Highway
101. It is a wet and wild forest with huge 500-year-old
trees. Warning: it is called a rain forest for a very
good reason--this area receives about 150 inches of rain
annually. Several miles west near the coast, the sun
can be shining brightly with no clouds in the sky. But as
soon as you enter the Hoh Rain Forest, expect to get rained
on! Come prepared with rain gear--you will need it.
OK, I've warned you. With all that said, I don't believe you
can find a more beautiful area in the entire park! For
a short hike the whole family can enjoy, try the Hall
of Mosses or the Spruce Nature Trail, two short nature trails
near the ranger station. The Hall of Mosses wanders
through the heart of the rain forest with stands of
conifers and big leaf maples, adorned with long, thick
shawls of moss, decorated by ferns. Some of these dignified
giants are 500 years old and stand more than 250 feet
high, and they seem proud of it. Although the trail
remains relatively close to the ranger station, don't be
fooled--after two minutes on the trail, you will not be able to
see the parking lot nor visitor's center due to the
THICK vegetation! Everything is covered is thick,
hair-like moss, giving the scenery an almost surreal
atmosphere.
The Spruce trail provides another aspect of the rain forest
along the Hoh. The terrain near the river is composed
mostly of glacier silt and is covered with alder and
maple, making it difficult ground for conifers to establish
permanent homes. You might see Roosevelt elk in
the
winter grazing along the river terraces, and cougars are known
to sometimes prowl the area. Ruby
Beach
This is probably the most interesting beach on the Washington
Pacific Coast. All types of rock formations, hundreds of
logs washed ashore, tons of trees, and a mini lake are
just a few of the many sights here to see. And don't
forget the ocean. This place is a must see! You can get there by
driving south on Highway 101 about 25 miles south of
Forks. Sol Duc Falls
It's an easy hike -- less than a mile long and one the whole
family can manage easily. You'll find that the
extraordinary size of the trees and the associated growth
inherent to the rain-forest climate blocks out most of
the sunlight, so don't sweat the sun block. And regardless of
the time of year, it's smart to bring a warm jacket.
As with all hikes in Olympic National Park, the destination is
not the only attraction--the scenery along the trail
competes for your attention with its awe-inspiring beauty. You
will find small streams with moss-encased boulders,
majestic old-growth trees draped in moss, and fern-covered
forest beds. All things considered, this is truly worth
the visit.
To find Sol Duc, travel north along highway 101 from
Forks about 27 miles until you come to the Olympic National
Forest Road. Turn east onto this and follow it for about
1 mile until you reach Sol Duc Hot Springs Road. Turn
right and follow the road for 11 miles. Along the way, you may
want to stop at the Salmon Cascades. Depending on the
time of year, you will be able to watch the salmon
swimming upstream. Make the stop-you'll be glad you did!
Cape Flattery
The western-most point in the continental United States, Cape
Flattery is simply beautiful. It is somewhat "out of the
way" and will consume at least half a day of your time getting
there and back, but it is well worth it. The Trail
provides a view of waves crashing against rocky shores and of
Tatoosh Island, a former Makah fishing and whaling camp
and more recently a Coast Guard station. At various
times of the year, you can catch a glimpse of puffin, sea
otters, seals, gray, orca and humpback whales and other
marine life. When I visited in August, there were several
hundred sea lions basking in the sun on the rocky coast.
To get there, you will drive north on highway 101 from
Forks for 13 miles. Here you will turn left onto Burnt
Mountain Road and continue for another 40 miles. At that point,
follow the signs--you can't miss it.
About the author:
Stephen Beck is an independent photographer specializing in
nature, landscape, architectural, and travel photography. You
can view his online gallery at www.sgbphotography.com.
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