A Camping Trip

We went camping in the Olympic Peninsula last weekend. 

We stopped in camp long enough to set up the tent and pay for our spot, then we headed off to hike.  

We hiked a trial called "Griff Trail."   This time I caught James being goofy too, not just the kids.  
    

It was another steep one, with loose rock, which made for a tricky descent.  It took us almost as long to come back down the mountain as it did to go up.

But, once again, the view was spectacular and made it worth every step.

We talked with the kids about how the Native Americans lived in this area long ago and we were able to sit up there and have the same view they had, all those years ago.  Amazing. 

One of my favorite sights in the world, a mountainside completely covered in a blanket of dark green trees.  So pristine and uninterrupted. 

Poor Taylor got a headache on the way up and it was really hurting her by the time we got back to the car where we had the Children's Tylenol.  We'll have start carrying that in the Camelbak from now on.  I felt so bad for her. 

Madison Falls. There was a short, paved path to this cute little waterfall.  It was close to our campsite, which was in the Olympic National Forest, near the Elwha River.  

 A gigantic stump, with the center rotted out of it.  What a find!  

This was the first time we've camped as a family in a very long time.  Believe me, we felt out of practice.  It showed in all the things we forgot, like pillows and socks and extra blankets.  

We were able to build a nice little fire and roast hot dogs and marshmallows, so we remembered the important stuff.  :)

The kids were so excited to be camping that they went to bed early, just to be in the tent and in their sleeping bags. 

Which was fine by us.  It gave James & I time alone to hang out by the fire.  I also love watching the dancing flames of a camp fire.  Another favorite.  

After a night of being not quite warm enough or comfortable enough, I was awake early, or I should say, often.  Once we got camp packed up, we were off to the Hoh Rainforest.  

Did you know there was a rainforest in the U.S.?  I didn't.  When I think of a rainforest I think of tropical birds and the Amazon.  

Well, there is a rainforest in the Olympic National Forest.  It's a temperate rainforest. 

The thing about the rainforest is that it rains a lot.  A lot, a lot.  140-170 inches a year.  By comparison, Seattle, WA gets about 38 inches of rainfall a year.  Doesn't seem like that much now. 

Because the rain is so abundant the trees don't have to work at all in order to grow.   As a result, there are roots running all over the place, above ground!  

"When a big tree falls it can provide a stage for new life.  Hemlock and Spruce seedlings unable to survive on the tangled forest floor, absorb minerals, moisture and warmth from the decaying trunk."
(From one of the posted signs in the rainforest)
 

"After their roots reach soil, new trees often seem to stand on stilts as the nurselog moulders away."
(Also from a posted sign)

 

Taylor walking through the rainforest.

 

 Logan, in front of one of the largest Sitka spruce trees in the U.S.  It's over 270 feet tall, over 12 &1/2 feet in diameter and 500 - 550 years old. 

The gray-blue color of the Hoh river comes from "glacial flour," which is finely ground rock created by glacier movement. 

 We passed a beautifully clear lake on the way home, called Lake Crescent.  

 We drove through Forks, Washington, made famous by the "Twilight" series.  It was overcast, which is the precise reason Forks was chosen as the location in the books.  It was pretty amazing actually, it was sunny to the east and west of Forks, but not there.  We also went through Port Angeles, another NW town that was in the books.  

 We stopped by a place called Jamestown.  They had all kinds of Native American art work and totem poles. 

We ended our weekend back at Port Townsend where we were to catch the ferry back to Whidbey Island.  But first we wanted to check out the town of Port Townsend.

 This is Wilson Point Lighthouse.  It has an automated light and is closed to the public, so this is as close as I was able to get.  

Just 5 minutes after I took that first picture, the fog came rolling it.  Suddenly it was surrounding us. 

 Sailboat becoming enveloped in fog. 

 Some neat homes and architecture in Port Townsend.

 It's such a cool town to stroll around in.

Port Townsend City Hall.

Taylor even found a main street named after her.  It really is a cool town now.  

 Fort Worden in Port Townsend.  It was a military base, but apparently it uses it's buildings for things like classes and community events and conferences.  It was neat though to see all the white and green buildings as they might have looked during their military days.  

Another building in Fort Worden.

 View of town from the dock. 

Looking toward home, from the dock.  We had such a great weekend camping.  We didn't want it to end, but I did want a good night's sleep in a comfortable bed... 

because the next day we were going to celebrate a birthday.