Summer 2014 - PNW Volunteer & Road Trip

[yellocoyote]

... continued...


The next day I would enter into the Olympic National Park area... somewhere I'd not been yet, but somewhere I'd also learned that I wanted to return to very, very soon.

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Olympic National Park, as I learned, encompasses both temperate rainforest areas as well as coastal beaches with great stone seastacks. Pretty much everything I could have wanted all in one park. Even the northern sections have snow-capped mountains.

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My last evening along the coast was spent on the Indian reservation at LaPush, Washington and on Rialto Beach...

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I was hoping to get one nice sunset on the coast, but it simply did not happen. So instead, I got some long exposure shots of the waves as night approached.

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On the following morning, I drove into more of the woodland areas of the national park... for more hiking and more waterfalls. I was not disappointed.

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Complete with rainbow...

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Sol Duc Falls

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And then up to Hurricane Ridge, just outside of Port Angeles, Washington. This seemed to be the Olympic National Park 'highlands,' so to speak. Some of these areas felt very "Sound of Music" to me...

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Looking down from above the clouds and down into the Port Angeles...

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Atop Hurricane Ridge was a 4-wheel drive only road to Obstruction Point. Of course, I chose to drive it! Signs showed that it was not completely open due to snow cover. But I didn't care and would drive it as far as possible. This was very much a ridge road. Too much to either side, and down you go! The road was about 1-1/2 lanes wide... so passing oncoming cars might have gotten interesting. Fortunately, I think I was the only one out there.

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A last look at the road to Obstruction Point before heading back down to sea level. So much fun!

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The rest of that day I drove Highway 101, and stopped to rest in Tacoma, WA. Although it hadn't been my initial intention, I made a last minute change of course. Because I could see it looming on the horizon in Tacoma, I drove southeast that evening and positioned myself just outside Mt. Rainier National Park that evening, so I would start there first thing the next morning.

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The magnificent Mt. Rainier!

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I spent about half the day inside the park before continuing eastward through the Washington countryside. Driving in lands of orchards and farms, and starting the journey towards home. The only place left that I had really wanted to stop was in the Glacier National Park area in northwestern Montana. There were a lot of closures inside Glacier... also due to snow and washouts. So the visit I'd hoped to have inside the park was rather limited.

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But a visit to the Polebridge Mercantile was on the to-do list... for the fresh-baked goodies and orange cream soda.

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Once outside of Glacier, I made the painful decision to head toward the interstate. I'd gotten word from work at the time about the promotion I took... and I needed to be home sooner rather than later.

Knowing what I know now about how said promotion worked out and that I'm at another employer altogether... I wish I would have taken more time to come back. But, hey... 20/20 hindsight. I'm glad I went - I got to see 3 states I hadn't been to before which was very, very cool. New parks and environments were experienced. And I was able to work on some photo techniques that I couldn't really work on here at home. I can't wait to get back sometime!

Thanks for the comments, all... I'm glad I have a place to share the journey. I look forward to seeing some of your adventures as well!

 

[al7fi]

Jayme,
Thank you for sharing your talents.gifts of photography belying belief and a way with words, that brings the photographs to life.

I don't do photos, very well, and what I have of my time on the Iditarod trail between McGrath and Unalakleet are old school with negatives or whatever and such.
If/when you get back north I will share if you wish. The Yukon is beautiful in winter!

Be well and I look forward to your next journey captured in digital media.

 

[KS06Kj]

Lots of great shots there Jayme, Nice work.

 

[yellocoyote]

Thanks!