Out of the oven into the cold

Howdy all...

Sorry it's been a while since I last posted on the blog, but internet access has been hard to come by so I'm writing to you from the Portland, Oregon now with a week long visit to the great state of Washington under my belt.

After leaving the quietly cool town of Pendleton, Oregon (see last blog entry) I made the long journey up to Olympic NP to meet up with friends Steve and Vicki for a few days. They were in the Seattle area and agreed to come hang out. Olympic NP gives you a little bit of everything. It boasts mountains, rain forest, and coastal stretches within the park boundary. If you are looking for one stop recreation, this is the place. The park was a welcome respite from the never ending summer heat of Utah and it was nice to actually need my sleeping bag again!

Steve, Vicki, and myself spent our first full day battling the never ending road construction to get to Hurricane Ridge. Here wildflowers dominate the landscape as do the jagged peaks of the Olympic mountains in the distance. Hiking up to one particular point we were treated to a sighting of a black bear foraging in the valley below. I have to say that was the best way to see a bear...from a great distance...see black spec below :)

Steve and Vicki (bear watchers in the background).

On our way back down to the parking area a local celebrity stopped by for a guest appearance. Yes, the famous Bambi was signing autographs...well actually Bambi was just getting chased by photo hunting tourists. I tried to be cordial and kept my distance, but got a nice head shot of this black tailed deer....

The next day we spent the morning relaxing in the Sol Duc hot springs. The smell of sulfur dominated but the springs were welcoming with their warmth and soothing nature. Sorry no pictures...hahah...Shortly thereafter we did a short waterfall hike and ended up at Lake Crescent enjoying lunch, beers, and the view...Shortly thereafter we had to go our separate ways :(. They were off to Seattle and I was back on the solo train to the coast of Olympic NP. Unfortunately they took the good weather with them....The next 2 days we're dominated by rain, rain, and more rain. My journey to the coast was cloudy, windy and cold but I managed to find a nice campsite. Hope you like it Mom....

The following day I visited the Hoh Rain forest it lived up to its name because it rained pretty much the whole time I was there. On my way there I saw river otters hunting in the Hoh river. The rainforest is just amazinly lush and the tree branches are just drowning in moss. I enjoyed a few small hikes in my rain gear and marveled at the green forest that is the Hoh (insert jokes here)

After I left the Hoh I intended to spend the day on the coast and camp near well known Ruby beach, but it was not meant to be as all the campsites were full and weather very unhospitable. I ended my run in Olympic NP camping at Lake Quinalt. I spent the night drowning in rain and packing my tent soaked in water. At that point, I was ready for a new adventure.

My next destination was Mount Rainier NP. Rainier is the 8th national park I've visited so far on my trip and upon arriving I soon realized why so many visit this beautiful place. The park is about 2 hours from Seattle and during the summer months it comes alive with a sea of wildflowers after of being covered in snow and ice during the winter. Honestly, I've never seen so many wildflowers. My head was on a swivel. I hiked the fantastic Skyline loop trail and after the clouds and fog cleared away I was treated to spectacular views of Mount Rainer (14,000 +). The camera just doesn't do the mountain justice. It's so massive...

The following morning I got back into dawn patrol mode and took in the sunrise at Reflection lakes were Mt Rainier is nicely reflected in the lake. This was an ideal place for sunrise and a fantastic photo location in the summer...

Thanks to many of you I heard about the Wall arch falling recently in Arches NP. Well, I guess I consider myself lucky as I was able to see it intact during my visit. Here is a shot of the arch before its demise...

Well, that sums up the last week or so. The next few days I will be exploring the Columbia River, Hood River, and Mount Hood areas. If you are a waterfall lover this IS the place for you. Hopefully, I will have some shots to show off...

Hope all is well for everyone back home. I will try to update the blog a little more frequently, but when wandering sometimes you get caught up in all the sights and staring at a computer pales in comparison!

The Wanderer