Olympic NP: Hoh Rainforest

A little over a week ago, we experienced the quiet magic of the Hoh Rainforest. We spent two days here, early starts both times to avoid crowds and savor the quiet. Quiet is my favorite.

Our first day we journeyed along the Hoh River Trail. While we only caught but glimpses of the river swiftly passing by, the trail was peaceful. Early in the morning we saw but a handful of hikers, mostly backpackers beginning their adventures.

Similar to Sol Duc, tall trees rose around us, stretching for the sunlight. Moss hung from their branches like ribbons cascading down. It danced in the breeze and gentle light glimmering through the canopy.

We meandered slowly, looking high and low. Down on the forest floor I found licorice slugs. Black and shiny, stretching at least four inches long, they slowing glided along the rocks and logs in search of a yummy treat. Their tiny antennas reached long to feel which way to go.

Head down, searching for more small creatures, I found almond scented milipedes! Their block bodies are edge with yellow and they wiggle as they scoot along. One wiggled right into the middle of the trail, where a stomping boot could squash it. So I used a stick to gently escort it to the side. We’ve got to protect things big and small.

We arrived at the waterfall, hidden among the trees, and wandered for a bit more until we found a sunny spot to sit. The foot bridge we elected crossed over a crystal clear babbling brook. The tranquil sound and warm sunshine almost carried me off to sleep.

On our way back, we searched for and feasted upon all kinds of berries. Blackberries, blueberries, salmon berries, service berries. The blackberries were definitely the sweetest. But you can’t get much fresher than the side of a trail!

That evening we relaxed at the campground, enjoying the time to slow down. My dad brought me back a rock for his after dinner jaunt. A lovely gray and white one to add to my collection. I enjoyed watching the hummingbirds fuss over the feeders and even learned a little history of the campground from the maintenance man. A solid first day in the temperate rainforest.

Our second day was another early start to escape the crowds and enjoy the beauty uninterrupted. It was lightly drizzling when I awoke and heavy fog clung to the trees. It was a damp 50 degrees, a stark contrast to our previous days.

Our first path in the park was the Hall of Mosses. We didn’t expect to see much different, but nature surprised us yet again. First there was the stream, so pure that vibrant green moss happily grew on the floor beneath the water. It danced along as the water flowed.

Then, up in the trees, the mosses grew more lusciously than I had ever seen. They blanketed the branches, draping down like thick quickly. In places they grew in yellow mounds, pillows resting on the tree trunks. The Big Leaf maples provided a home for the epiphytes. Twenty different species can live on one tree, prospering in the clean air and plentiful moisture (over 100 inches of rain fall a year here). These mosses, ferns, and lichen don’t harm the tree but rather help it, providing moisture retention and nutrients. The park ranger taught us that they once removed all the moss from a tree – it literally weighed a ton – and discovered the tree branches had sent roots into the moss. The tree ended up dying without the moss. The two living entities needed each other.

We also walked the Spruce Nature Trail. It was less populated but no less dramatic. As we walked, I had an interesting observation. First thing in the morning the visitors were quiet, walking slowly, savoring the experience. Everyone whispered, knowing they were in a sacred space. As the morning progressed, the groups arriving were larger, louder, moving fast like it was just another item to check off the list. A whole different crew. I think I’ll stay a part of the early morning club.

The nature trail was lovely and we were able to access the river. We saw rows of hemlocks growing up from nurse logs. We saw a giant root ball, heart like, giving life to a grove of tree on top. Former life inspiring new life.

The ranger at the visitor center also taught us how to identify the trees. Sitka Spruce are spiky. You’ll say, “Ouch!” when you try to grab once. Hemlock are droopy with delicate needles. Each of these trees make up 49% of the conifers in the park. The remaining 1-2% are Douglas -firs, not a true fir but it is “friendly”, meaning you could shake its branches happily. They are such a small population because they need sunlight to grow and today not much light reaches the floor of the ancient forest. Big Leaf Maples and Adlers are the deciduous trees. Adlers’ leaves never change color but drop green. These trees are special because they help convert the nitrogen with a special fungus in their roots. Trees are neat.

Before we left, I saw a Banana Slug! My mom spotted it on the end of a log. A muted yellow, it slowly glided along. They are so cool! Did you know they can grow up to 9 inches long and have 27,000 “teeth”?! And, supposedly, if you like them they taste like mint and make your tongue tingle. I did not try it. But finding one made my day complete.