Olympic National Park – Sol Duc, Aug 17 RAINFOREST

The Olympics is a vast national park comprising nearly 1 million acres, is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is fairly close to Seattle making it a highly visited park.  The park is also extremely diverse with three distinct ecosystems:  the wild untamed coast, tall alpine mountains, and the rich green rainforest.   As there is no single road penetrating the park but rather multiple roads encircling it, traveling from one ecosystem to the next can be time consuming.

  

We are camped on the banks of the aqua blue Lake Crescent at the stellar Log Cabin Resort.  The cool water is refreshing in the heat wave we’re experiencing with some days touching 98 degrees.  Thank goodness Bambi’s AC functions like a champ.

 



Today we visited the Sol Duc area deep in the old growth Pacific Northwest rain forest.  First stop was at Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort where we soaked the morning away in three hot tubs of varying temperatures from 95 to 108 scalding degrees.  Languid, limp, and placidly baked, it was difficult to muster the energy to even leave the resort let alone do any hiking.  


    

 





But massive ancients Douglas firs, ferns and mosses, and soft pine needle walkways begged for a delightful afternoon stroll under a shaded canopy.  I also made the short hike to gorgeous Sol Duc Falls, but because Aaron’s feet are still recovering from The Enchantments Hike of Monday, he sat this one out.  He tried to hike, but his toes are still mush.  Last evening he popped blisters underneath the toenail beds of three toes.  Sounds as painful and gross as it truly is.  I hope he recovers in time for next week’s backpack trip.  












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