Moments in Time Trail

Me, Enchanted By The Moss Covered Trees, Moments In Time Trail, Olympic National Park

Moments In Time Trail was not a hike we planned at all, we encountered this trail when we were looking for food. Our day did not really start so well, we left Bellingham raining and foggy, and it was raining still when we got to Port Angeles. When we stopped by at Olympic National Park Visitor Center in Port Angeles for information on weather and trail conditions at Hurricane Ridge, the park ranger pointed to us the live video at Hurricane Ridge showing zero visibility, snowing and very windy. He advised us it is not the right time to hike up there because of such conditions, unless we are crazy about snow and wind ( we got too much snow already at North Cascades and we were not looking for more snow in the summer!). A little bit disappointed because of the weather conditions, we proceeded to drive West to Forks. Little did we know that Port Angeles would be the last city we will see before reaching Forks, and we were really very hungry. Of course, we have survival foods in the car, such as our hiking bars and nuts, but then, we wanted real foods, hot foods. I grabbed our GPS for foods, and it brought us to Lake Crescent.

Glacially Carved Lake Crescent

The first structure we saw at Lake Crescent was the Olympic National Park Ranger Station. We parked there first and went to the station to talk to the Park Ranger for more information regarding the area. He told us that the only warm foods we can find is at Lake Crescent Lodge which is 0.5 mile from the station. Because the lodge is only half a mile from the station, we decided to just walk instead of driving to there. 

Wildflower Meadow at Park Ranger Station

Our walk from the ranger station to Lake Crescent Lodge was not on a trail but on the side of the road. While walking, we saw the very enchanting moss hanging on the trees, and wondered if there is a trail inside the forest that we can walk instead of walking on the road.

Road Between Lake Crescent Lodge and Park Ranger Station

When we were near the lodge, we saw the "Moments In Time Trail" that is only a 2/3 mile loop. We had lunch first at the lodge, and then on our return back to the ranger station, we took this trail, and walked inside the forest which was a lot safer than walking on the road. 

Inside Moments In Time Trail

Stepping inside "Moments in Time" trail was like stepping back in time and felt so out of this world. Perhaps because it was our first time to walk inside an old growth forest with moss covering the trees. Also,somehow, in my thoughts, the mossy trees kept me singing "Somewhere In Time". I am singing now :) ....somewhere in time, we met on timeless hills, and in the evening mist we kissed and time stood still.......:)

Moments In Time Trail Passing through Lake Crescent Surrounded By Evergreen Covered Mountains

Here are some more pictures from Moments in Time Trail:

Interesting Tree I still Have To Know the Name

Wild Rose

More Moss

Want To Join Me Sitting Here?

Moments In Time Trail is one of those wonderful trails that we met accidentally. Finding Moments In Time Trail is like how I look at life as a wonderful journey, like a hike with ups and downs, passing through crossing trails, some switchbacks, and sometimes, some surprising scenic turns. Moments in Time was such a surprise scenic turn in our journey at Olympic National Park. 

Rialto Beach, Olympic National Park

Giant Sea Stacks and Myself, Rialto Beach, Olympic National Park, WA

Rialto Beach at Olympic National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is not your typical beach. This is a wild stretch of coast more popular for backcountry hiking and camping.

Coastal Forest and Ocean Beach @ Rialto Beach

Rialto Beach is just a few miles West from where we stayed at the town of Forks. Our drive from Forks to Rialto Beach was very beautiful. The road winds between a thick canopy of pine and maple forest and ends at the beach. Rialto Beach beach starts at the mouth of the Quillayute River.

Mouth of Quillayute River and Forest Capped James Island, Rialto Beach

From the mouth of Quillayute River, the beach extends about 4 miles, bounded by sea stacks, tidepools and the Pacific Ocean on the West, and by piles of driftwood, ghost forest and the pine and maple forest wall to the East.

Driftwood (above) and Ghost Forest ( Below)

While walking on this coastal strip, we saw several white eagles perched on top of the tree, or flying above us,

or perched on top of the rocks in the middle of the sea ready to fish. 

How Many Bald Eagles do you see here?

Among the sea stacks, Hole-in-the-Wall is one of the most interesting, which is about 1.5- 2 miles from Rialto's Beach Parking lot, and within an earshot to the camp sites. Camping right next to the ocean in the midst of pine and maple forest and the sea stacks in front of you is definitely a one of a kind experience.

Hikers at Hole-in-the-Wall

Even in the middle of summer however, it can be very windy, cold and chilly camping and exploring here at Rialto Beach. It is good to bring the best of your camping equipment to protect yourself from the elements and enjoy fully the wonderful gift of nature in this area. Vacation becomes more fun for me if it is about actively exploring the great outdoors, without sacrificing comfort to really optimize the fun. Camping Gear Outlet is one of the wonderful places you can look for supplies for your outdoor needs online.

Hole- in- the- Wall

Hole-in-the-Wall is a natural arch that was pierced through a cobble-stoned rock by centuries of surf and wind. At high tide, hikers can not cross this arch, instead they must climb the rock to continue up North. We did our homework the day before coming here, we checked the time of low tide which was 10:00 am. The day prior to this we reached Olympic Peninsula at past low tide, therefore, we spent our time doing more land hiking at Moments In Time and Sol Duc Falls, before retiring to Forks. We woke up early enough and had early breakfast to reach Hole in the Wall at low tide. Dining at Forks was fun, most restaurants says something about "Twilight" :), but surely, all those "Twilight" meals helped us in giving energy for our physical activities.

While walking, we saw a lot of starfish sticking to the rocks pounded by the waves, however, as we got closer to Hole in the Wall, there were no more pounding waves and the tide pool was exposed. We saw hundreds of starfish, anemone, and other shells cleaving to kelp-laden tide pools. 

Orange and Purple Starfish (top 2 pictures, by KTL),

Anemone and underside of Starfish ( bottom 2 pictures, by Betchai )

Starfish feeds on clams, oysters and mussels, through their mouth which is the middle opening on their underside ( bottom right picture above). Starfish don't eat shellfish with their shells on, but rather, they use their powerful suction cups on their legs to open the shell of their prey. When the shell is wide open and meat is exposed, star fish push their stomach out through their mouth and digest it. Star fish are scavengers and hunters that clean up the bottom of the ocean floor, eating some fish-killing algae. Most of the starfish we saw are not by themselves, but they are cleaving to each other and on the rocks.

Group of Starfish

Grouping together is one of the starfish defense mechanisms to protect themselves from the pounding waves as they can easily be washed off shore by the very strong waves. As the star fish cleave together, their strength multiplies exponentially that they will be able to hold on together defying the pounding waves that crash on them. The star fish exemplifies best the quote, "Together we stand, divided we fall." 

Someone from my Facebook friends left me a comment if the picture above is real, I think we had presumed before that this question may be asked, that's why probably we have different attempts to take this picture with the ocean scenery to say, yes, they are real.

the same group of starfish in the last starfish group picture above

Since I have been awakened to the magnificent beauty and power of nature preserved in National Parks during my first National Park hike at the Grand Canyon's South Kaibab trail last thanksgiving 2006, I had made a list of our big trips exploring the 58 US National Parks. Olympic National Park was one of those that were high in my priority. Olympic National Park is not just about these ancient sea stacks and the abundance of ocean wildlife, is not just about the glacier-capped mountain peaks, not just about the amazing and out-of-this-world rain forest, not just about its roaring waterfalls, but Olympic National Park is the embodiment of a stunning variety of landscapes, plants and animal life. I am glad I came, I won't be surprised if one day I will find myself here again even without completing all the 58 US National Parks yet. 

North Cascades National Park

Ross Lake, North Cascades National Park, WA

From Seattle, we drove 120+ miles North East to North Cascades National Park. North Cascades National Park sits on the border of US and Canada. This park is also known as the Alps of the West,  features rugged mountain peaks,

Rugged Mountain Peaks Seen From Easy Pass Trail

cascading waterfalls everywhere,

One of the Many Nameless Waterfalls We Found On The Trail

thick forests,

Forested Trail to Easy Pass, North Cascades National Park, WA

deep valleys, long valley lakes,

Diablo Lake, North Cascades National Park, WA

Lakeshore, North Cascades National Park, WA

glacier fed pristine rivers, 

Emerald Waters of the Skagit River, North Cascades National Park, WA

and more than 300 glaciers adorning its rugged peaks, the most glaciers of any US park outside of Alaska. 

Glaciers and Snow, Mount Shuksan, North Cascades National Park

Some have glaciers thousands of years old and at 1988/1999 receive world record snowfall at 1140 inches of snow. 

Summer ( June 30, 2010 ) at higher elevations of North Cascades National Park

In my next posts, I will be featuring some of our hikes at North Cascades and a more detailed exploration of the park. 

Washington's National Parks Road Trip Part 3

Days 1-8 of Washington's National Park Road Trip Summer 2010

North Cascades National Park, Olympic National Park, Mt. Rainier National Park

This is the conclusion of a series of posts on our summer 2010 road trip to Washington's National Parks. You can find the summary of itinerary and from days 1-5 in Part 1, and days 6-8 in Part 2. 

Now, to continue to Days 9- 11.

Day 9: Mt. Rainier National Park

If you recall in my previous posts, our days 7-8 in Mt. Rainier National Park were on snow and cold rain weather. However, we were still able to do some hikes and some snow fun. We did not let the stormy conditions beat us. It was however our wish to see the face of beautiful Mt. Rainier reflected, which we were only able to photograph from air during our flight to Washington.

Did the weather improved on our 3rd day at Mt. Rainier? After breakfast, when we went out, there was no rain nor snow, but the sky was not very promising. Anyway, we decided to do some more sightseeing. We drove North from Paradise. Here were some pictures from our sightseeing on that morning.

Roadside waterfalls, wildflowers and Fogs @ Mt. Rainier National Park

The visibility was actually very poor, maybe, just a few feet. We therefore did more up close pictures of wildflowers instead. If we were not paying attention to the sounds of nature while driving, we would not actually see the roadside waterfall above because of very poor visibility. However, when we heard the sound of raging water, we safely stopped at the road side parking lot ( which are view points, but no view, haha!), and walked a little bit to find the source of the sound. I believe among us, it was hubby who has the best eyesight, for he was able to find the waterfall. :) 

After the waterfall, we stopped by at one of the most photographed lake in Mt. Rainier, however, we did not see anything but ice and fog.

The top right picture above would have been the view if the lake was not frozen and the visibility was better. The top left and bottom picture above was the condition of the lake when we got there. 

Afterwards, more fog rolled in that we could hardly see anything. Fog is lovely if it is not as dense and when you are not on a windy mountainous road. But when it covers everything you see, it is different. We had driven quite a distance away from Paradise ( the center at Mt. Rainier) and we knew we drove a very mountainous road with drop-offs. Not seeing the road side, where our car could slip and fall down the cliff anytime was scary. We were thinking of waiting for fog to clear before driving again. However, there were news a night before about hikers lost in the blizzard, but rescue operations could not start yet due to terrible weather conditions. We did not want also to end up stranded on road. That was the point where we turned around and went back to Mt. Rainier's hotel and visitor services. We just drove very very slowly and very carefully.

When we got there, some snow started falling again, but unlike the previous days, there was very strong wind blowing also snow from the ground into the air making the visibility and conditions really worse. We laughed and told each other, "whew, what A SUMMER VACATION!" Usually, in National Parks, the food court, museums, theater, etc are not crowded at all because everyone would be outdoors exploring. But on that day, everywhere in the area was so crowded because where else would the stranded visitors go? Most hikers usually are not wimps, they would still hike in rain and snow, remember, we did for 2 days. But not when the conditions are very treacherous like that day, from misty to almost zero visibility. We kept ourselves busy watching the short movie on Mt. Rainier's Natural History, looking at museum displays,

the left photos above are from the museum- the right photos were taken by me(top and bottom ) and hubby(middle )

listened to talks, shopped for Mt. Rainier souvenirs such as hats and hoodies, and well, ate and ate....and had WARM SOUP after WARM SOUP. Despite however looking only at the pictures of Mt. Rainier in the museum, still, we love the place! We knew however, we needed to go back to Mt. Rainier some other time to see its peak beauty, like paradise in bloom!

The weather did not improve at all. It was our most relaxing day, physically that is. However, when you don't do anything actually, you feel more tired. There was just no rejuvenating energy pouring in from staying indoors, watching the bad weather outside. 

Day 10: Left Mt. Rainier National Park For Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Washington/Oregon.

Pictures from Day 10- A Better Weather Day

Before we left Mt. Rainier after breakfast, we checked the weather forecast first if there is a possibility of clearing. However, the forecast was not very inviting for us to linger longer at Mt. Rainier, that we decided to start heading South to Columbia River Gorge, where the weather may be better. We left Mt. Rainier without seeing the mountain. Although we were there, but we only saw parts of it. Despite the unpleasant weather at Mt. Rainier, we still had a wonderful stay there. Whatever we had explored convinced us it's worth coming back, someday!

Our first stop on our drive South was Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.

Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, From above and from Below Ground

Mt. St. Helens is not in the direct route to Columbia River Gorge, in Oregon. However, because it was kind of in the middle, we decided to take the route ( though a little bit longer ) that would make us pass by Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. We were blessed with a very good weather South of Mt. Rainier, that we were able to enjoy the scenery around Mt. St. Helens. Mt. St. Helens erupted May 18, 1980, being shaken by an earthquake. Its north face collapsed in massive rock debris avalanche. The eruption lasted 9 hours, dramatically changing Mt. St. Helens landscape. Mt. St. Helens is another hiking wonderland in Washington, however, we did not have enough time to really explore the area. We decided instead to explore Ape Cave, a 2000 year old lava tube that was formed by basalt flow from a vent on the southern flank of Mt. St. Helens. We're so used to hiking up the mountains in our hikes, that we decided instead to go down and see what is under Mt. St. Helens.

In order for us to explore Ape Cave, we had to go down several flight of stairs, in the dark. But because of time constraints, we only explored the lower tube. It is not possible to go directly to upper tube from lower tube. Instead, we had to go back to the opening of the lower tube, hike 1.5 miles inside the forest before entering the mouth of the 2nd tube again.

After Mt. St. Helens, our next stop was Columbia River Gorge, which was actually our destination.

Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Washington- Oregon

After taking in the beauty of Columbia River Gorge from the roadside viewpoints, we drove to Mt. Hood, hoping we could go skiing in the summer. Some of the ski slopes in Mt. Hood are still groomed for skiing even in the summer. We thought it would be our highlight of the day. But, when we got to Mt. Hood, we learned there were no rentals in the summer. Those who ski bring their own gears. Well, we did not pack even a trekking pole, so we would not have to check in our luggage during flight. We decided instead to just have another photoshoot and snow fun at Mt. Hood. 

From Mt. Hood, Oregon 

( the bottom right picture is Mt. Adams as seen from Mt. Hood )

After several days of stormy weather in Mt. Rainier, we had a blast of good weather in Mt. St. Helens, Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Hood. 

Day 11: Half Day White Water Rafting at White Salmon River and Drive to Portland, Oregon for fly out the next day

US (the one wearing red was our raft guide ), Ready to Take the Rapids

We had a blast in our half-day class III-IV white water rafting. It was both fun and thrilling to feel and ride the raging water. We had to pass one waterfall, however, we were asked before we started if we were up to it. If we are not up to it, we could skip the waterfall. We were warned that is the point where most fall off the raft. We were briefed however what should we do instead we fall off the raft in the waterfall and in the other more challenging rapids. We felt very confident after the briefing that we all agreed to pass through all obstacles, since that is the fun part of white water rafting. Did anyone fall off our raft? Happy to say, none. :) But there were several in the other rafts who fell off. 

The water was frigid cold, but we wore wet suits, and waterproof outer layers. Funny, during the orientation, we were told, "if you have anything cotton, like shirt or underwear, better change now, as cotton is the most unpleasant in this condition." Well, no one rushed to change, which meant everyone was used to outdoors that learned to unfriend any cotton clothing. Everybody came prepared, to enjoy and ride the rapids. 

 Us, White Water Rafting at White Salmon River, WA

White water rafting concluded our 11 days exploring of 3 Washington National Parks and Columbia River Gorge. We placed it at the very last day so that whatever happens, we already had explored all places we wished for this trip. :)

We definitely will be back in this part of the West Coast for more wonderful exploring. 

Washington's National Parks Road Trip, Part 2

Before I continue to Day 6 of  my previous post on "A Road Trip Exploring Washington's National Parks" summer of 2010, let me share with you first the link to Part 1 of this trip, where you could find the summary of the trip and itinerary for days 1 - 5.

Seattle, North Cascades National Park and Olympic National Park, during Days 1-5, summer 2010 Washington's National Park Road Trip 

Now, continuing to Day 6...

Day 6: Hiking and Exploring Rialto Beach, Olympic National Park

Rialto Beach, Olympic National Park, CA- summer 2010 Washington's National Park Road Trip 

I would love to say that this is my favorite part of our Washington exploring. Olympic National Park really had blown my mind away, and Rialto Beach tops them all. 

If you come however to frolic in the beach with fine sands, you would be disappointed. Rialto Beach is not for the sand and sun lovers. It's not for those who prefer to sun tan in their 2 piece swim suits. The sands are rough, and not meant to be walked on barefoot. The waves are very powerful and unforgiving. This is a wilderness beach, popular for hiking and backpacking. It's a beach meant for hiking shoes. You would not only walk on rough sands, but also on rocky terrain, slippery rocks, and scramble past drift woods.

The day before we came here, we checked the low tide, and it was at 8:00 am. Checking low tide is a must to allow more exploring of Rialto Beach's geological and ecological features. At high tide, some areas would not be accessible, such as Hole in the Wall. To reach Hole in the Wall, we would still have to hike 1.5 miles. It meant we should be at the parking lot by 7:30 am. It meant waking up earlier than 7:00 am if we wanted to start our day with a nice hot shower and hot big breakfast. Skipping breakfast, or eating very little contradicts active exploring which requires a lot of calories to do more. Right nourishment is very essential to keep an active and healthy lifestyle. 

Rocky Shore, Driftwoods,  Giant Sea Stacks, and Natural Arh @ Rialto Beach, Olympic National Park - summer 2010 Washington's National Park Road Trip 

A Road Trip Exploring Washington's National Parks

Pictures from my previous post, Arc'Teryx in The Summer

Remember my previous post, Arc'teryx in the Summer? Majority of the guesses if where were we summer of 2010 was Alaska. Not a single one was able to guess Washington. The clues were the pictures above. Indeed, the first State probably that would cross our mind when we think of ice and snow in the middle of summer and of glaciers is Alaska. However, those familiar with the West Coast would not be surprised to see lots of snow to ski in the mountains in the middle of summer. 

taken from inside the plane during our flight to WA: bottom left- Mt. Shasta, California; top right - Crater Lake, Oregon; middle right photo- Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens, Washington; bottom right- North Cascades, Washington

What is unique with most of West Coast is that, though there may be no snow along the coast ( especially in coastal California), but the accumulation of snow in the mountains last until the summer. Glaciers are present in most higher elevation mountains. The Southernmost glacier is Palisades, in Eastern Sierra, California. Summer is the best time to visit these places, because in the winter, most roads are not passable because of heavy snow. 

Anyway, let me share with you now the details of this road trip.

Length of Road trip: 11 days and 11 nights, 3 Washington National Parks + Columbia River Gorge and staying in 5 different hotels/ lodges

Arrival Airport: Seattle, Washington from San Diego, CA

Departure Airport: Portland, Oregon to San Diego, CA

Route of Road Trip: 

1. Seattle, WA- 2. North Cascades National Park, WA - 3. Bellingham, WA - 4. Olympic National Park, WA - 5. Mt. Rainier National Park, WA- 6. Columbia River Gorge, OR- 7. Portland, OR

Our Trip Coverage

Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrival at Seattle, WA from San Diego, CA. Explored Seattle a little bit, then, we drove to Marblemount, WA, our place of lodging for 3 nights to explore North Cascades National Park.

Memories from Seattle, Our Arrival City, But Not our Destination