Hoh River and the Hall of Mosses
View from the Park Entrance to the Hall of Mosses
Visiting the Hoh River Rain Forest was part of my 2nd day adventure into the Olympic National Park in Washington state. My first day was in the Quinault Rain Forest [previous article], where I camped in my car without electricity. My Hoh River Rain Forest trip was very short, because of the long trip back to Olympia, Washington that same day.
Small Elk on Point
Although this adventure was short, it was pretty damn sweet! Before even entering the trails, I ran into a large family of elk. I was checking out a large pond when I heard noises coming through it. It ended up being a small elk, coming out of the forest and checking for an “all clear”.
"Is it clear?"
Soon more elk came walking out of the forest, which I took pictures above with an over exposure so you could see their detail better. Once the “All Clear” was in effect, they crossed the street.
Elk Crossing and My Protective Sign I stood behind
When you’re in the Olympic National Park, they have dozens of signs and postings warning humans that elk have been known to rush and attack humans if they feel trapped or threatened. They recommend being at least 100 yards away. I wanted a closer shot, because it’s not every day I get this chance to see elk. So I walk up to the sign in the picture above and decided to use it as a protective barrier if one of them rushed me [a stupid idea, but I said screw it].
Elk up Close
I wanted to get some close up shots, so I took the time to pull out my telephoto lens and start shooting. I was rushing to get the gear ready, which felt like it took a lifetime.
Family of Elk
There were 10 or 11 of the elk in this party. The shot above was taken when the elk began feeling trapped, as there were two cars behind me stopped to watch them, and a car coming up the road from the other side. They were no longer focused on me. They suddenly ran into the woods on the other side of the street to escape the cars.
"We're safe, time for breakfast!"
I was ready to move on to the trails, but I had to get a couple more shots.
"Ummm, breakfast is gooooddd"
"Don't watch me while I eat, you crazy human!"
When you’re in the Hoh Rain Forest, there are many trails you can take and a few of them are very long. Because I wanted this to be a short day, I decided to only check out the “Hall of Mosses“, which is a very popular trail. Simply with the name given, you can easily figure out that the trees are covered with moss all over the forest.
My favorite shot - Currently my PC's Wallpaper
When you enter the Hall of Mosses, this swamp [photo above] is on your left as you cross a small bridge. The vegetation is amazing, so if you’re a fan of the great outdoors, you’ll love the trails here.
Enter at your own risk
Below are a few more shots I liked when I checked out the trail.
Hall of Mosses
Hall of Mosses
Hall of Mosses
The three pictures above are a small spot on the trail that has this view in every angle. It was a beautiful spot and I wished I had brought my tripod on this walk.
Hall of Mosses
I loved the tree's leaves so I had to take this one
Fallen tree - So long that it had to curve during the fall
Hall of Mosses - Over exposed to see the detail
After walking the trails I wanted to see, I was ready to head back home. I was disappointed that I didn’t take any pictures of the Hoh River. Its a large river that I couldn’t find any good shots to take. I was hoping to find some waterfalls or some amazing rapids, but I was too low down the mountains to find any.
If you live in Washington state, the Quinault and Hoh rain forests have excellent camping sites, surrounded by beauty. Take the time to check them out, you’ll be happy you did.
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