Ruby Beach, & Olympic National Park Hon Rain Forest, WA

Saturday 9/1/2012

Still in Forks, WA, we took our next day drive south on Hwy. 101 to Ruby Beach.

On our drive to Forks in the Nest, we had to by pass this area, so we wanted to go back and visit it.

Views of Olympic National Park Ruby Beach from half way down on the trail.

Ruby Beach is covered in rocks, tree trunks,

and sea stacks.

Joe peaking through the sea stack hole.

We walked as far as we can go.

The beach further north was getting swallowed up by the sea.

On the way back, Joe spots this object on the beach. It was covered in flies and maggots. It looked like a pig, wild or domestic. Where did he/she come from? Did it get caught in high tide?

More of the perfectly smooth and round Pacific coast rocks.

Some of the tree trunks on the beach are huge.

Mallery and I climb and conquered the trunk.

Out at sea we saw a lighthouse on an island.

Destruction Lighthouse out about a mile off shore.

After enjoying our lunch we started to drive back north on Hwy. 101.

About 12 miles south of Forks, WA, we turned east on Hoh Rain Forest Road.

After a few miles we came to the Olympic National Park entrance gate. If you don't have a annual pass you will pay $15 to get in.

As we drove further into the park, we saw a sign just next to the road for another giant tree. This Sitka spruce is 270 feet tall, and is 500 to 550 years old.

Moss laded trees everywhere.

Hoh Visitor Center is 18 miles east from Hwy. 101

There are 3 short trails that you can take once at the Visitor Center. For the professional hikers, there is a 17.3 mile hike.

We chose the Hall of Mosses Trail.

While on our hike, I learn that the pregnant trees that I have seen, are tumors caused by early insect damage or virus.

I let Joe brave the trail first to make sure it was safe.

Santa Claus mushroom on a moss covered evergreen tree.

This rain forest receives over 200 inches of rain per year.

This arched bough is covered with lush beards of clubmoss that is feed by the light and air.

The environment supplies enough moisture and air born nutrients to keep the moss alive on the bough.

This forest is one of the only coniferous rain forest in the world.

When trees do fall and die, they become nurse trees and support moss, lichen and other trees on it.

These two trees once lived on a down nurse truck before it deteriorated away.

Nurse truck completely gone, but still evident that it use to be there.

This giant tree was 190 feet tall.

It took two pictures to show the size of the tree, and another portion of the tree is further in the forest.

As we get to the end of the trail, I took this picture of a moss covered trunk leaning over a stream.
The floor of the stream is also covered in bright green moss.

As we walk toward the car, we saw this old pay phone covered in moss.

Dogs are not allowed on trails in the park, so we left Mallery in the car. Our campground host had told us the parking lot in the Hoh Rain Forest was completely shaded, and with the temperatures in the high 60's, we knew she would be fine. Views of the Hoh River in the Olympic National Forest, as we headed home.