Quinault River Rain Forest - Take 2
Direct link to my waterfall pics from the trip in the original resolution. Feel free to download and print any that you like, for personal use only.
I had to visit the Quinault Rain Forest one more time before I move to Utah, so I had to visit it last weekend. Compared to my last visit [article], it was far more pleasant camping in my car with electricity this time. It’s amazing how a $7 RV plug adapter can bring joy to my entertainment needs.
Although I took this trip with the pleasure of watching movies on my laptop while playing with photos, in the comfort of a warm car, I did have a cold [maybe the H1N1], but it didn’t effect me during my hikes. Just like my last trip to the Multnomah & Wahkeena Falls in Oregon, I was only armed with my camera and a simple 50mm f/1.4 lens. So of course, I’m not happy with any of my photos, without a 16-35mm wide angle lens.
At the bottom of Bunch Creek Falls
My day started at Bunch Creek Falls. This waterfall gave me the best exercise of the day, since I did climb it to the top. In the photo above, which I quickly shot from the street, the climb looks like a simple one. I thought the same thing standing there, that’s why I was dumb enough to do it.
At every great waterfall, you simply have to look at paths that other photographers have made to get better shots. I found one. Luckily I brought gloves that morning [funny story later about that], which helped with the wet climb. It wasn’t raining, but it was still early morning just after sunrise. The rocks were wet and very slippery, and carrying two cameras made it scary at times, because they’re my pride and joy.
Bunch Creek Falls - 1/3rd up of the climb
Finding a decent angle of the falls with a 50mm lens is almost impossible. It was still fun to climb along to find one.
Bunch Creek Falls - 2/3rds up the climb
The photo above was my favorite angle of the falls, but so much beauty was missed in the shot.
Bunch Creek Falls - Up Close
In the picture above I found a great flow of water in the falls that I could get close to.
Funny Story- When I made it to the top of the falls, I was not impressed with what I saw, because it was nothing worth following further for. I did like the view down though, so I took my backup camera to the edge of the falls. The rocks were extremely wet, so I went to grab a tree branch, to help my balance. I wasn’t wearing my gloves at the top, so when I grabbed the branch, I felt a million little pains rush through my hands. I quickly let go and took a greater look at the branch. The branch was surrounded by hundreds of thorns the length of up to 2 inches. It literally felt like I grabbed a cactus! Writing this article, I still have 10-15 thorn tips sitting in my left hand.
Inside the Quinault Rain Forest
Being alone on this trip was amazing and absolutely relaxing. The Quinault Rain Forest reminded me of my trip to Hoh River.
Future Trees growing off of a fallen tree
The cool things you can find out in the rain forest, is the life of future trees that spawn and grow from a fallen tree. In the photo above is a perfect example. After my short trek through the woods, I had to checkout Merriman Falls.
Merriman Falls - Taken from the left
Merriman Falls was an easy waterfall to photograph. It’s easily accessible from the road, and it has a simple drop. It’s a popular backdrop for tourist photos.
Merriman Falls - From the right
The trip was fun and I even found time to check out the riverbed of the Quinault River. I got my fill last weekend, seeing waterfalls, the forest and the river. I would recommend taking the trip to checkout the Quinault Rain Forest if you’re ever in Washington. Below is a slideshow of all my waterfall pictures on Flickr.
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