Note: I haven't published anything on this blog for years, but I decided to revive it, mostly to share the experience of relocating from California to Olympia, Washington.
This past Saturday, I decided to take advantage of beautiful fall weather and go on an adventure on the Olympic Peninsula. I headed west from Olympia, stopping for a delicious breakfast in Elma, then continued along country roads that wound through the emerald pastures and timberlands of rural Grays Harbor County. Eventually we arrived at our destination: the Quinault Rainforest.
I had wanted to explore the Quinault Rainforest, which receives 12 feet of rain a year, and thought it would be a good place to see fall colors. I decided to try the Fletcher Canyon trail, a four mile round trip hike that begins near the Quinault river. The trail climbs along the slope of the canyon through a sea of ferns, past giant mossy trees. The first mile or the trail is fairly manageable, but conditions deteriorated after that. Even though it wasn't the longest hike, the slippery rocks and roots and the many downed trees to crawl under or climb around made for slow going.
The trail "ends" at the creek, and there's a small waterfall about 100 ft upstream. Thinking there was still more to explore, I made the mistake of continuing across the creek on a huge, slippery cedar log, and in the process I fell. I got back onto my feet with no serious injuries, while my trusted hiking companion Roco stood in the creek, waiting for me to throw a stick for him. A reminder that when hiking alone, I have to be extra careful and that next time I choose a difficult trail, it might be wise to bring a human companion as well. Even though there is a campsite and a faint trail that continues on the the other side of the creek, I wouldn't recommend going any farther.
Overall, the Fletcher Canyon trail offers a chance to explore the lush Quinault Rainforest in solitude: I saw only two other groups on a warm, sunny Saturday in late October. If I were to do the hike again, I would only walk the first mile: it has the best scenery and the trail is good enough to be able to look up and enjoy the beautiful forest.
This past Saturday, I decided to take advantage of beautiful fall weather and go on an adventure on the Olympic Peninsula. I headed west from Olympia, stopping for a delicious breakfast in Elma, then continued along country roads that wound through the emerald pastures and timberlands of rural Grays Harbor County. Eventually we arrived at our destination: the Quinault Rainforest.
I had wanted to explore the Quinault Rainforest, which receives 12 feet of rain a year, and thought it would be a good place to see fall colors. I decided to try the Fletcher Canyon trail, a four mile round trip hike that begins near the Quinault river. The trail climbs along the slope of the canyon through a sea of ferns, past giant mossy trees. The first mile or the trail is fairly manageable, but conditions deteriorated after that. Even though it wasn't the longest hike, the slippery rocks and roots and the many downed trees to crawl under or climb around made for slow going.
The trail "ends" at the creek, and there's a small waterfall about 100 ft upstream. Thinking there was still more to explore, I made the mistake of continuing across the creek on a huge, slippery cedar log, and in the process I fell. I got back onto my feet with no serious injuries, while my trusted hiking companion Roco stood in the creek, waiting for me to throw a stick for him. A reminder that when hiking alone, I have to be extra careful and that next time I choose a difficult trail, it might be wise to bring a human companion as well. Even though there is a campsite and a faint trail that continues on the the other side of the creek, I wouldn't recommend going any farther.
Overall, the Fletcher Canyon trail offers a chance to explore the lush Quinault Rainforest in solitude: I saw only two other groups on a warm, sunny Saturday in late October. If I were to do the hike again, I would only walk the first mile: it has the best scenery and the trail is good enough to be able to look up and enjoy the beautiful forest.
Roco admiring a large douglas fir tree
Fall color in Fletcher Canyon, Colonel Bob Wilderness
After the hike, we stopped at the Quinault River, where there was a group of spawning salmon
Visiting the world's largest Sitka spruce tree
Roco swiming in Lake Quinault
Rainforest Nature Trail.
After hiking most of the day, I was hungry and decided to drive to Aberdeen for dinner, about an hour away. I'd seen a Korean restaurant there on Yelp with rave reviews and so I decided to give it a try. A fog had rolled in as I navigated the quiet streets of this not so vibrant logging port. I finally found the restaurant, a small house located on a narrow street behind the Mazatlan restaurant parking lot in downtown Aberdeen. I had beef short ribs (kalbi) with some rice and kimchee. This came with side dishes: there was potato and lotus root in a curry sauce and a tomato stuffed with egg and broccoli. I washed it down with some tea made from roasted corn and barley. This was some of the best Korean food I've ever had; the owners were really friendly and gave me some free noodles to eat as well. This is the kind of place where I would eat a lot if it were closer, but I have a feeling I'll be passing through again on my way to the Olympic rainforests or the ocean beaches. I'm hoping someday soon that Aberdeen will be known more for it's Korean food rather than as the source of disaffected grunge musicians.
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