Summer has come to Georgia. When I step into the garden, heat and humidity envelop me and I feel like I’m in a rainforest. But then, last week, Jack and I were in a real rain forest and I realized that it feels completely different.
After visiting family in Hood River, Oregon we headed northwest to the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state. This is a large and astonishingly diverse and beautiful part of the state, home to Olympic National Park and the Hoh Rainforest.
The Hoh is one of the largest temperate rainforests in the U.S. and one of the wettest places in the continental United States, receiving over 150 inches of rain annually. (It actually can’t compare to THE wettest place in the U.S. which is Mt. Waialeale on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai which receives 460 inches of rain on an average!) Atlanta averages 52 inches a rain per year.
The forest is magical, with huge trees, many of which are over 300 feet tall. Sitka Spruce, Western Hemlock, Douglas fir and Western Red Cedars make up the majority of the tree population but in and amongst those are the truly stunning Big Leaf Maples. Though smaller than the evergreens, they are impressively large for a maple and covered with moss, creating a scene that looks primeval.
As we drove through a fairly remote part of the Park along the Quinault River, we were excited to first see an Olympic black bear – with her cub! and then later, a bobcat who ran across the road right in front of us. Luckily we were in the car both times! The Park is also home to cougar, Roosevelt elk and the northern spotted owl.
We felt really lucky to be able to travel again and to see this truly beautiful and fairly remote part of our country. But even though I was thrilled to see the wildlife and the stately trees, it just couldn’t compare to seeing my beloved grandsons again!
The Hoh rainforest is just amazing. I’m sure you know that piano soundboards are made from sitka spruce, because the cell membranes are a perfect natural amplifier. Thanks as always for sharing!!