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Joe Pelonio
06-17-2007, 1:45 PM
We've been in WA state now 14 years and finally made it up to the Hoh Rainforest until yesterday. This is the largest temperate rainforest in the
world, and one of only a few.

It's about 3 hours from here to Port Angeles, and another 2.5 hour drive to the rainforest in the Olympic National Park, but well worth the time to see such inspirational trees. We probably walked 15 miles total, and hope to go back in the fall to do another 17.5 mile walk when the vine maples are in their splendid color.

The most amazing thing is how the trees grow on old dead trees and logs. With moss covering everything, and 300+ days/year of rain, (as much as 200") seeds fall and start anywhere. Roots will go through the moss or totally exposed over old dead logs to reach the soil. Eventually the old "nurse" log rots away and you have interesting root formations with round openings where the log below used to be.

Oh, and what luck, it never rained the whole time we were there, when we left it started to rain and continued the rest of the trip back.

Here's about 50 pictures if anyone's interested. The last two pics are a 250 year old Sitka Spruce, it's 270' tall and 12-1/2' caliper at the base.

http://pictures.aol.com/galleries/pelonio?...1182097158528.1 (http://pictures.aol.com/galleries/pelonio?backState=prevPage%3D/ap/myAlbums.do%26state%3DalbumId%253D47042.1706.11820 97158528.1)

Gary Keedwell
06-17-2007, 1:50 PM
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/evsac/Video/ThumbsUp.gifJoe, great pictures!

Gary K.

Ken Fitzgerald
06-17-2007, 1:59 PM
Joe.....My youngest son was stationed aboard the USS Carl Vinson. He and his prettly little wife lived at Silverdale. They fell in love with that rain forest. His wife, a native Floridian, and he want to relocate back to the NW...of course, that will probably be a while if he continues to want to retire from the Navy.....

Joe Pelonio
06-17-2007, 3:10 PM
Joe.....My youngest son was stationed aboard the USS Carl Vinson. He and his prettly little wife lived at Silverdale. They fell in love with that rain forest. His wife, a native Floridian, and he want to relocate back to the NW...of course, that will probably be a while if he continues to want to retire from the Navy.....
That's funny, we stopped on the way up to visit a friend on the hood canal in Silverdale, just south of the sub base. I hope they make it back some day.

Nancy Laird
06-17-2007, 3:40 PM
http://shutter08.pictures.aol.com/data/pictures/14/001/77/F9/A8/93/BQLZK5tZS+Wm8RpWAwk6+NasOe9ShjAI0300.jpg (http://pictures.aol.com/galleries/pelonio/3120nLbm9i*AZj9U7HIhGab00lkyjek0U2Xsv4xQp5Fd3Ig=/large/)

Joe, this picture intrigues me...looks like a part of the trunk that has fallen over? Is the left end loose or has it burrowed its way into the ground? And it looks as if it would be high enough for a car to drive under.

I've been to that part of the country several times and have never before heard of this area. It has just been added to my list of places to see before I check out.

Gorgeous pictures!!

Nancy

Ken Fitzgerald
06-17-2007, 4:01 PM
Nancy....I hope Joe can answer your question but I can tell from my personal experience. There is a type of yew wood here .....we find them in microclimate areas in the mountains of North Idaho where the tree will grow, bend over reenter the earth...reimmerge and continue the process. I know of one tight little canyon where we elk hunted. There was an area of about 1/4 mile by 1/4 mile....those yew woods formed a series of "picket fences" a short distance apart. Getting out of that canyon was a real experience and time consuming. The yew wood grew on the least steep way out and going up the steep sides was nearly impossible. Typically you'd stumble onto and down into the canyon...not want to go out the way you came in......Then spend 40 minutes climbing over these yew wood fences to cover the quarter mile but at least you could walk in a semi flat area. The other sides of this little canyon were very nearly vertical. We knew when we stumbled into this "special" place as it was the only place within a 10 mile radius where this pretty little creek ran straight North. You'd stumble in....pull you compass out of your shirt pocket...."Aw....." and head for the yew wood.

Joe Pelonio
06-17-2007, 4:03 PM
That tree is broken nearly in two. It appears to have blown over in a windstorm. There was enough cambium left to keep it alive and while the end is on the ground now it's totally still growing. The picture next to it shows the back side with the splintered break. While there are many trees in the pic the big broken one is actually a native big leaf maple. It does have some firs, cedars and vine maples from fallen seed growing on it too.

Craig D Peltier
06-17-2007, 9:26 PM
That's funny, we stopped on the way up to visit a friend on the hood canal in Silverdale, just south of the sub base. I hope they make it back some day.

Joe have you been to Wallace Falls State Park in Sultan area? I went there a few weeks ago and hiked the waterfalls route.I think theres 5 places it drops took about 2 hours each way. It looked alot like this, seems like more moss at wallace though. Ive wanted to go to HOH since ive been here but know its takes a long time by car from where we are, did u take a ferry across the sound? Ive made it to Port angeles to HUrrican Ridge in the summer, that was amazing. I still want to visit crescent lake out that way.

Joe Pelonio
06-17-2007, 9:39 PM
Joe have you been to Wallace Falls State Park in Sultan area? I went there a few weeks ago and hiked the waterfalls route.I think theres 5 places it drops took about 2 hours each way. It looked alot like this, seems like more moss at wallace though. Ive wanted to go to HOH since ive been here but know its takes a long time by car from where we are, did u take a ferry across the sound? Ive made it to Port angeles to HUrrican Ridge in the summer, that was amazing. I still want to visit crescent lake out that way.
We went and saw some of it but didn't take the long hike.

Since it was Friday and I have learned my lesson we drove around, 5S to 16 up through Bremerton. If you were at Hurricane Ridge, it's another hour-and- half or soon 101, through Forks. Nice drive. We got the annual pass since we plan to go back and it's good for 365 days from when you buy it. We did take the ferry back, from Bainbridge. we stopped at Crescent for a few minutes (rest stop) but have been there many times. There is a shorter 45 minite trail to Marymere falls that's much like the rainforest too and the lake has beautiful turquoise colors near the shore.