Olympic Peninsula - Day Four - Sitka Spruce and Merriman Falls

Wednesday, September 20, 2017 (Part Three)
Day Trips:  World's Largest Sitka Spruce and Merriman Falls

After two morning hikes, we headed back to camp for lunch before venturing out again. Now that we'd explored the North Shore, it was time to return to the south side of the lake. We had a couple of sights on our agenda -- the World's Largest Sitka Spruce and the Merriman Falls. It was beginning to rain, but we weren't discouraged. It is a rain forest, after all. 

The walk from the parking area is a mere 0.3 miles, so it's not much of a hike. The tree is very similar to the Giant Spruce of Cape Perpetua in the Siuslaw National Forest in Oregon (which we hiked to earlier this summer). That tree is nearly 600 years old and stands over 185 feet. The Sitka Spruce near Lake Quinault is said to be 1000 years old and stands at 191 feet. Both are quite impressive!

The view of the lake from the eastern shore is stunning, especially as the sun peeks in and out from behind the clouds. Just down the road is the Salmon House Restaurant. We already had dinner plans, but we hope to return and give it a try some day. It's supposed to be very good.

We continued on down the South Shore Road in search of the waterfalls. There are several in this area (Falls Creek Falls, Cascade Falls, Gatton Creek Falls, and Bunch Falls), but we were in search of Merriman Falls, which are right along the roadside. 

Honestly, how many pictures can I share to show the beauty of these falls? They are much larger (and higher) than they present in my photos and the pools of water in the basin are more expansive than they appear. I wish I had something to show the scale of this beautiful setting, but we were (surprisingly!) the only ones there and we were too busy taking our own photos to pose near the falls. Nonetheless, it absolutely breathtaking and the sound of the water was so soothing; I could have stayed there for hours. Unfortunately, the rain hadn't quit and it was time to start heading back to camp. As we got in the car  we agreed that the only way to top such a great day is if we could see a rainbow. 

And wouldn't you know it! We turned a corner and off in the distance, reaching from the mountains to a grove of trees in a meadow, was the most perfect rainbow! We quickly pulled off the road, grabbed our cameras and dashed across the street to capture the moment. I have never seen such vivid colors in a rainbow, nor have I seen the end of one touching the ground as with this one did! We must have shot dozens of photos when all of a sudden we saw a second rainbow beginning to show itself, ever so slightly. It never did come into full view, but it's there, just off to the right. Reluctantly, we got back in the car and headed back to camp.

After our return, we decided to head down to the river since it was  our final night at this particular camp. The golden hour was in full force and the trees were dripping in buttery light. I have seen hundreds, if not thousands, of beautiful sunsets over the ocean, but there is something about the evening sun reflecting on a tree-lined river that makes my heart sing. Throw in a dramatic cloud-filled sky and I'm in heaven. 

Yes, we will definitely return.

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Olympic Peninsula Trip - Day Four - Kestner Homestead Trail

Wednesday, September 20, 2017 (Part Two)
Day Trips: Olympic National Park - Kestner Homestead Trail

After our warm-up hike on the Maple Glade Rain Forest Trail, we decided to go in the other direction and hit the Kestner Homestead Trail, which is a 1.3 mile loop. Like the Maple Glade trail, the Kestner is well-marked and nicely maintained. It's a flat trail and on this particular day, fairly dry and absent any mud. The old homestead was very interesting to wander around, although if I let my imagination run free, I could easily get spooked there. Something about the rusty old truck and the vacant buildings reminded me of Stephen King's horror stories, particularly 11/22/63.

This part of the trail was full of enormous ferns.

I love this beautiful grove which is full of either birch or red alder.

This grassy area was originally the orchard, but it's pretty bare now with just a few apple trees.

Moss (and lichen) grows everywhere in the rain forest. This split rail fence was covered with it.

  

I'm really glad I wasn't alone on this hike!

A little spooky, right?

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Olympic Peninsula Trip - Day Three

Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Day Trips: Lake Quinault Lodge; Quinault Rain Forest Nature Trail and Loop Trail

First things first.

It rained on and off all night, at times pretty hard (which can be very loud on the roof of a travel trailer!), but it stopped as we woke up, so I took my cup of coffee down to the river. It was cool and cloudy, but still absolutely gorgeous. The water was clear and fairly calm; the only sound was that of a few fish jumping. A very peaceful way to wake up, if you ask me.

We continued to have a nice slow morning, enjoying our coffee and breakfast, but around 11:00 we decided it was time to go check out the sights. Rod was busy editing, so unfortunately he stayed behind while we headed over to Lake Quinault Lodge.

This is quite a rain gauge. 15 feet in one year!

Lake Quinault Lodge was built in 1926 in two months! It's one of those grand, old lodges that brings to mind vacation retreats and old money, the kind of resorts that are shown in movies like Somewhere in Time and Dirty Dancing. The view of the lake and surrounding mountains is quite spectacular, especially with the clouds and mist hovering over the trees. We decided to have lunch in the lodge and enjoyed the beautiful view from our table. I had a delicious cup of clam chowder and a pretty decent plate of fish & chips. After our leisurely lunch (the service was a tad bit slow...), we headed out for a walk in the Quinault Rain Forest.

The trails are well-marked and we found that we pretty much had one to ourselves as we headed down toward the path along the beach. The woods are filled with large ferns and the trees were dripping with moss. Lots of moss. We came across an enormous Douglas Fir that is estimated to be 400 years old.

We knew there were waterfalls further east along South Shore Road, but we weren't expecting to see this small waterfall, which is part of Willaby Creek, on our walk on the Quinault Loop Trail. It was lovely to relax for a little while, watching and listening to the water flow by with its rhythmic, burbling song.

Eventually, we made our way along the shoreline where the trail continues east toward the Lodge and Ranger Station. The sun drifted in and out from behind the puffy, white clouds, casting shadows over the water and mountains, creating an ever-changing picture. I could easily have sat on a dock, gazing out on the water and sky for the remainder of the day. 

It wouldn't be a hike in the Pacific Northwest without the ubiquitous banana slug.

Honestly, it felt like we were on the edge of an Alpine lake. Those mountains and water took my breath away!

We came across a lot of fallen trees, but this particular log caught my eye and it seemed to beg to be touched. It was so smooth, as though someone had spent a good deal of time sanding away all the rough edges. Did the rain do it? Time, sun and water? It also reminded me a bit of an elephant's head and trunk. Do you see his eye?

I love the way the dew drips from the moss, dangling like jewels on a thin strand of lace. This temperate rain forest gets an average of 12 feet of rain per year!

We enjoyed our hike, but it was time to head back to camp and start thinking about drinks and dinner. Rod and I took a stroll down to the river before the rain returned. 

(photo credit: Mike Jackson)

I'm so glad Rod travels with one of his guitars! It's very pleasant to sit and listen as we enjoy our cocktails.


Click on the photos for a larger view of the image.