Olympic National Park
My plan is to spend the day in Olympic National Park. By sheer coincidence, I find myself facing the infamous Tacoma Narrows Bridge. There aren't any signs, but the image has been etched in my brain from numerous documentaries. A few metal grates and a couple of other changes fixed this writhing snake of a roadbed. It works fine today.
| Port Angeles is much larger than I expected and is the gateway to Olympic NP. A few days ago I would have rushed in, got the stamp, and rushed out. Today I'm doing the grand tour and head to Hurricane Ridge. Wow, wow and wow. The road winds up one side of a valley with a view of a snow-capped range. There's still a lot of snow up here and the road has just recently been opened. Life is good. Even though the visitor's center is undergoing massive reconstruction, they had the foresight to keep it open. No, I don't get the stamp. I don't even look for it. |
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The ranger recommends the road to La Push and the Pacific Ocean. The park itself is not one contiguous area, but there are several smaller sections which are unattached to the main park. The area around La Push is one of them. On the way to this small town, it's easy to see where the park ends and begins. Clear-cutting is the line of demarcation.
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The road to La Push is a waste. At the end of the road is a small Native-American town that has all the markings of high unemployment. The view of the ocean is disappointing and the local constabulary is busy gathering vast amounts of revenue. I see a police car parked outside of one of the better houses in town. What connection is here? There is a nice mountain view on the way back to the main highway, but that's it. |
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| The Hoh Rain Forest, on the other hand, more than makes up for La Push. At the entrance I meet a young ranger who is going to school in St. Petersburg, Florida and who is working his summers up here. How many retirees would jump at his lifestyle. He's a nice kid and we end up talking for a long time. Earlier, I purchased a quart of Rainier cherries for $1 (I spent $5 for a pint in Anchorage). We split them and enjoy this relaxed atmosphere. |
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In the area are the ancient forests dripping with moss. There are times I feel like I'm back in Florida with sphagnum moss hanging on the trees, but this is much more dense. The area has all the factors necessary for a rain forest: a valley near warm ocean currents, easternly breezes, a mountain range which encloses the far end of the valley and high rain fall. The trees aren't as old as they look and live about 400 years according to the ranger. The optimal growing conditions makes them so big, so fast. |
| Something feels right about this place, something that touches my DNA. Human beings are meant to be here, not as conquerors, but as caretakers. The mother deer and doe I see seem to agree. There are several "large trees" as the signs say and I stop to see them all. Outside of the Hoh Valley there is a large cedar whose trunk is a maze. Out comes my Kermit chair and I sit for an hour just soaking it in. There are times when it seems like I'm the only one around for 100 miles and I'm at peace. I've used up the whole day in the park and ignored three more stamps along the way, but I feel fulfilled and head to Olympia for the night. |
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