My Everyday Photos

Second Beach

April 7, 2013 – 6:51 am
Posted in beach
Tagged beach photography, Olympic National Park, sea anemeones, sea stars, Second Beach, trillium, Washington coast
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There are a series of numbered beaches in the Olympic National Park. I have always wondered why they did not have proper names. The beach at LaPush is First Beach. The next one to the south is Second Beach. And then there is Third Beach. Imagine that. Getting to Second and Third Beaches requires a hike through the coastal rain forest; about 3/4 of a mile to Second Beach. The great thing about that is that fewer people visit these beaches and it’s possible to have a level of solitude not available at the beaches with parking lots right next to them. And fewer distractions like litter and ATV’s.

Trail through the forest

Trillium

On the beach

Erosion from centuries of waves

Sea weed growing on the rocks

Sea star and anemone

Sometimes the sea stars are in clusters

Sea anemones

Mussels attached to rocks

Ruby sands

It’s hard to leave such a beautiful place

Rain Forest Images

April 6, 2013 – 7:23 am
Posted in rain forest
Tagged ferns, Olympic National Park, photos, rain forest, skunk cabbage, trees
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According to the Olympic National Park website, the rain forests of the Olympic Peninsula are some of the most spectacular examples of primeval temperate rain forest in the lower 48 states. These rain forests once stretched from southern Oregon to southeast Alaska, but little remains outside of protected areas. The region gets 150 inches of rain every year and with moderate temperatures trees grow amazingly big. And there’s not just trees. Shrubs and ferns and fungi of all types are prolific and often seen growing out of trees and dead logs. Some logs are known as ‘nurse logs’ and support an entire group of trees and other plants. We spent part of a day in the Hoh Rain Forest and were also able to explore a bit of the rain forest near Crescent Lake and along the coast.

Maple trees

Mixed conifers

It’s a long ways up there

Alders growing close to the river

Another gnarled maple

Nurse log

We walked this trail

I don’t know if these are mosses or something else?

Moss spores

And lichens on an old fence

Ferns grow everywhere!

Out of tree trunks

Way above me

And out of a small branch

This tiny mushroom was barely an inch tall

Lots of big three-leaf clovers

Skunk cabbage grows and blooms where there is standing water

A tiny blossom – possible another berry?

Sapsucker holes

Pacific Wrens serenaded us everywhere

Have you heard of Salmon in the Trees? I found this salmon jaw under a big tree. We were nearly a mile from the river.

On the Beach at LaPush

We stayed for two days at a small cabin in the Quileute community of LaPush. It was cozy and had a great view of the beach.

I like to watch the waves, a lot.

Buoy #2 washed up on the beach.

It hosted a colony of tiny barnacles

A series of waves washing over rocks

Ken’s first attempt at fishing for surf perch.

Quileute Needles in the distance

A nice sunset behind James Island

Road Trip

April 4, 2013 – 2:55 pm
Posted in road trip
Tagged beach, Crescent Lake, Elwha Dam, Marymere Falls, photography, Port Angeles, shells, sunset, surf perch, Washington coast, wildflowers
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Ken and I enjoy road trips. We tend to travel with lots of stuff and this trip we took the truck so we could get all that stuff packed. What kind of stuff? Photo gear. Fishing gear. Clamming gear. Birding gear. Guitar. Books. Various clothes for various activities in a variety of weather conditions. Food – lots of food along with beer and wine. It was a good tour of a big part of the state starting here in the Methow where winter was loosening its grip, across the Cascades where 40″ of snow had fallen in the previous week, to the urban world north of Seattle where we were surprised to see new snow on the ground, and then across Puget Sound where it was sunny and dare I say it, warm. We reached Port Angeles that first night.

Sunset from our hotel in Port Angeles

From PA we drove up the Elwha River to the overlook of one of the now-removed Elwha Dams.

This sign graphic shows how it looked before, during and after the dam removal. Salmon have already returned to this river above the former dam site.

Part of Lake Crescent is in the Olympic National Park. It is cold and deep.

Old Storm King Ranger Station at Lake Crescent

Marymere Falls – a short popular hike from Lake Crescent

We saw these pretty blossoms in several places. I think they are a berry – maybe salmonberry?

The Dickey River – slow moving and flat and more reminiscent of Florida than Washington

We saw a river otter

This algae covered shoe had mussels growing inside of it. I wonder how long it was in the water and where it came from. Japan? It was on Rialto Beach.

A madronna log – driftwood on Rialto Beach

I could not get a better look at this moss covered nest as it was above my head. It was along the Hoh River.

This flower grew in many places with disturbed ground. I have no idea what it is.

Water pours out of a cliff side

Ruby Beach is more rocky than most of the beaches where we walked.

Looking down at Ruby Beach

Reflections along the way

Lots of interesting weather – mostly good

The Sandpiper

Some treasures from the beach

Two of the surf perch that Ken caught

Lots more, yet to come!

Sunset on the Beach

April 3, 2013 – 4:40 pm
Posted in sunset
Tagged beach, Pacific Beach, Sandpiper Resort, sunset photography
Comments (6)

We got away from home for a little while just as winter was coming to an end and spring was beginning, otherwise known as mud season. I have several hundred images to edit and sort and this is my favorite batch by far. There will be more blog posts from this wonderful vacation in the days to come.

Our trip took us around the top of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, starting at Port Angeles, then down to LaPush, a brief stop in Westport and then to our final destination near Pacific Beach. We stayed at a wonderful place called the Sandpiper – a small resort built right behind the narrow strip of dunes and against the cliff. It would not be the place to be during a tsunami. We were blessed with good weather and the first night we had a marvelous sunset! One of the best I’ve ever experienced. Last year in Florida we learned to go out to the beach and toast the sunset so we carried on with that marvelous tradition on the west coast.