[Larry]

I got up to the wonderful Quinault Valley for a day. Ya gotta take them as you get them, right? Anyway, I thought that I would share a few thoughts about the area, and include a photo. This isn't a "true" trip report, but I figure it could go in here...if it's in the wrong place or inappropriate, then the moderators can certainly move it or delete it at their discretion. This is the time of year that my grandfather and I referred to, in a tongue in cheek manner, as the "five week frenzy of foam". The "frenzy" reference is to the rapid change in river levels when the snow starts to melt in earnest, usually starting about the last week of May, and continuing into the first week of July -- about five weeks on average. In fact, we always timed our "high country" hikes to the end of this annual melt. When the river started getting back to its normal color, we could rest assured that navigation was going to be easier in the high meadows. During this stage, the river takes on a completely different hue from the "normal" deep clear blue that it displays most of the year. The snowmelt waters, along with the ablation-melt cycle of the glaciers, combines during this period to turn the river into a strong shade of aquamarine. The river is moving extremely fast and has a lot of power. There is something deep-seated in me that finds peace in this river color --perhaps its just the accumulation of memories from this happening year after year from my boyhood. I can vividly remember the big, dark shapes of the mighty Steelhead Trout sneaking upstream in the edge of the current along that cliffy wall. This spot is fairly special to me, as it is where I took my first "solo" trip up the trail -- I think I was around age twelve or so. I laid my sleeping bag very near where this image was taken (although back a little farther from the edge!) and had a wonderful evening listening to the river hissing along as it rushed through the "box". The Quinault River, and other rivers associated with the Olympic Mountains, consists of many series of alternating box-canyons and riverine glacial "flats". Each of these areas has its own ecotome, and each provides its own variety of sublime views. The Canadian Dogwood (Cornus canadensis) in the foreground loves acid soils, and in the absence of true soil, will simply grow in pure stands of moss. In this case, I think the moss is the Claopodium crispifolium. However, the botanists in this forum may not agree -- in any case there are roughly 44 species of Hornworts, Lichens, Liverworts, Mosses, and Selaginellas in this valley alone! The rock walls across the river are laced with the lovely Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum), and Deer Fern (Blechnum spicant). In any case, I hope I've captured a little of the "feel" of this lofty little perch. It's a very pristine location, and has a lot of character to me..

Box Canyon Impression

[MCaver]

Fantastic, Larry. Glad to hear from you again.

[MooseAndSquirrel]

Very pretty Larry, and a nice background about the spot. I surely need to explore the Olympics more.

[Phil]

[Andrew]

Superb photo. Great colors and even better composition. Your descriptions and knowledge of the life supplement the photos you post (both here and other forums) indubitably amplify my reverence towards nature.

[seattlechronic]

You Da Man Larry!!! Eric