Day 20 - 9/24 - Into Olympic National Park - part two

Today was our second day to go places in Olympic National Park. We headed west from our campground to Rialto Beach which sits on the Pacific Coast. We got an early start in hopes of getting ahead of the rain.

Rialto Beach is decorated with some serious driftwood called “beach logs.” Fallen trees that make their way down the cascading rivers and creeks are deposited on the beach if they don’t fully make it to the ocean. The winds and other winter conditions provide for the conditions and force for moving them. Initially, they get to the ocean where the tides force them back to the beach edge. They can sometimes remain in place for years along the edge until other storms carry them out to sea where they may later be pushed back on the beach.

Welcome to Rialto Beach and beach log heaven.

Byron, dressed as the man in black, and Martha standing

at the root cluster that is still attached to the trunk of a tree.

Interestingly, these trees lack tap roots since they

existed in a rainforest.

The beach is made up of smooth rocks of all shapes and sizes. It is as though they fell right out of one of those rock tumbling machines. There was no sand. The beach was also littered with various types of sea weed. After a short walk among the various pieces of beach logs, we headed to Hoh Rain Forrest.

We have seen many moss covered trees over the last two days as well as abundant ferns of different species. If you look carefully in one of the photos (below), you will see the “moss monkey.” Vegetation of all kinds is abundant in this rainforest habitat.

Moss drapes over many of the limbs of the trees. Do you see

the “moss monkey” in the photo?

It appears that many years ago this forked-tree hay have really

been two trees that merged near the base. If it is green, it is

moss. If it is yellow, it is lichen – or so we have been told.

We took a 1.2 mile hike at the Hot Rainforest along the Spruce Trail 

and came upon an old Douglas Fir which

had toppled over. The underside of the

tree made for an interesting photo opportunity. 

As you can tell in this photo, some signs of fall are beginning

to appear in the lower elevations where deciduous trees

and bushes exist.

This morning, we streamed the worship service from our home church in Louisville as we have one previous Sundays. But, out here in nature, we are able to see the signs of God’s handiwork across millions of years of development. It is amazing.

Washington State has not disappointed.We head south on Monday. As far as Martha is concerned, the cake has been baked and anything we experience for the rest of the trip is just icing on the cake. As for Byron, he’s looking forward to more cake and icing, too. He’s waiting to see Martha’s reaction to the sights around San Franscisco. There’s more wonder from the wandering to come.