T
his summer I had the pleasure of touring the Pacific Northwest for two weeks. Aside
from doing the usual sightseeing in Seattle, I had the opportunity to hike some
incredibly beautiful trails.
Hoh Rain Forest
My first hike was in the Hoh Rain Forest, situated on the Olympic peninsula of
Washington. With an annual rainfall of over 100 inches and a temperate climate, the
growth in the Hoh Rain Forest is luxuriant, to say the least. Every square inch of ground
is covered with vegetation, and the trees drip with moss. The Sitka spruce is the
predominant type of tree, and some reach heights of almost 300 feet! The Hoh River Trail
runs from the visitor's center along the Hoh river for about 23 miles. If you're not into
long hikes, there are several very interesting short interpretive hikes near the visitor's
center.
Skyline Trail
Several days after visiting the Hoh Rain Forest, I drove to the Paradise Lodge at Mt.
Rainier and set off on the Skyline Trail. I started the hike with some trepidation because
the beginning of the trail is paved, and heavily used. As I progressed, however, the
number of people dwindled and the pavement gave way to dirt. I hiked through snow
fields and pastures of delicate alpine flowers, and was awed by the view of the craggy
summits of the surrounding mountains. The trail eventually levels off, then starts heading
back downhill. This circuit hike is about five miles long and took me four hours to
complete.
Mount St. Helens
My final hike was at Mt. St. Helens. The desolate beauty of this area defies description.
Although much of the vegetation has grown back since the 1980 volcanic eruption, the
destruction is widespread, with mud flows covering the valley, and large trees flattened to
the ground for a radius of several miles. I started my hike at the new Coldwater Ridge
Visitor Center on the north side of the mountain, along Cold Water Lake. This lake was
formed after the eruption when debris dammed up Cold Water Creek. The trail runs along
the lake for about four miles and affords a spectacular view of the north side of the
mountain, where most of the destruction occurred.
For a born and bred Easterner like me, hiking in the Pacific Northwest for the first time
was quite an experience. I was so impressed that next summer I plan to go back and try
some of the trails along the Columbia River.