I think the Olympic Peninsula ties with southern Utah for my favorite place in the world.
Sunday morning hike on Rialto beach, near La Push. Four miles, zero feet of elevation gain. My kind of hike.
This hike is a well-kept secret at Olympic National Park. Everyone flocks to Hurricane Hill, which I did last time and it was great. But this had the same scenery (I even saw marmots wrestling!) and only about 5 other people on the trail. Perfect.
Sorry, Disney World, you've been bumped to #2.
My favorite hiking here is the wilderness beaches. Is it weird that I prefer the beach when it's cold and cloudy?
(The only acceptable form of graffiti)
(I forgot to pay attention to the tide tables one day and almost ran out of beach to hike on.)
I love these beaches because they are not crowded. And I love falling asleep to the sound of the waves at night. This is the most peaceful camping and hiking I have ever done.
Several miles away from the beach, I crossed the treaty line and entered the rainforest. I hiked a seldom used trail into the Hoh rainforest, and it was absolutely miserable. It was 90 degrees and humid and the bugs were all flying at my face. It was like hiking through the jungle, which made me think of Predator, which made me wonder if bear spray counts as a weapon. (Predator only comes during years it is unusually hot, and he only attacks people who are armed.)
Of course I do not believe in Predator, but I promise you, there is something mystical about this place.
This was the trail... Covered in green. The best part of the day was discovering the most perfect swim spot on the south fork of the Hoh River to rinse off the sweat and wash my hair. The water was deep and so clear I could see all the way down to my toes.
The next area I visited was Hurricane Ridge, the alpine tundra with abundant wildflowers, patches of snow, and views of jagged peaks covered in glaciers. Seriously, how is it possible for all this scenery to exist in one place??
The little ribbon you see is the trail I hiked on Grand Ridge:
None of my pics look great, but I could see the ocean in one direction and Mount Olympus in the other.
I was really happy with this book. Very helpful.
The only negative thing I can say about the Peninsula is lack of free camping. It's not like other national forests where you can just find a spot and pull over. All the side roads are blocked off or belong to logging companies. But to me, it is worth $15 a night to camp on the beach!
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