[Insert Percy Jackson Comment Here]

Day 8: Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Sightseeing day: Olympic National Park

Night Accommodations: KOA in Port Angeles, WA

I woke up this morning and realized I was in Twilight country and promptly fought the urge to flee the state. Thankfully though, the weather has been unnaturally gorgeous—clear skies, warm days, lots of sun, and no rain thus far—so take that, Stephenie Meyer!

We did not do Olympic National Park justice at all. With next to no time, we were unable to explore all three of the park's distinct habitats—the rain forest, alpine glacial mountains, and the rugged coast. We did, however, traverse the alpine glacial mountains pretty well given our time frame.

For a park that I had never even heard of before, Olympic National Park is jaw-droppingly gorgeous. It embodies and conserves the most diverse portion of the Pacific Northwest, and harbors over twenty four distinct species of life that are not found anywhere else on Earth, including some endangered species such as the Roosevelt Elk.

At the Hurricane Ridge Visitor's Center, the deer are especially rampant and not at all afraid of people. We encountered one beautiful doe licking up anti-freeze that leaked out of a car in the parking lot, because the anti-freeze is sweet but is ultimately quite harmful to them. Matthew was particularly worried and tried scaring the deer away multiple times, but nothing could deter the deer from her prize. Finally, Cindy thought of rubbing dirt and asphalt into the fluid to smother the scent, so Matthew immediately ran over and began rubbing. Sure enough, the deer left the spot alone, but the damage was already done. That doe was left with a terrible stomachache.

We talked to the Ranger at the center, one Brian Doolittle, and he said deer licking up radiator fluid and the like was a daily occurrence. The deer come to these parts of the park because they have learned that proximity to people means food, either through direct feeding or careless leftovers. With people come cars, and the deer simply cannot help themselves. And deer are not the only species affected in such a way. Chipmunks, raccoons, and ravens are some of the others.

The subalpine region finally delivered the fields of wildflowers we were promised by our multiple guide books back near Mt. Rainier, which delighted Cindy. The blooms are so small and delicate, they reveal the fragility and endurance of life, even just below glacial levels. As we hiked, we were surrounded by more and more glacier-capped mountains, towering firs, and amazing vistas. At one point, we were able to have a 360-degree lookout and it was incredible.

The line between trees and grasses in such areas vacillates from season to season, depending on current conditions, so the landscape is always changing. Oftentimes trails are closed due to snow, even in July. Matthew and I indulged in a slush-ball fight on one large pile of snow. He won. I walked back to the car with wet pants. Bested by a ten-year-old. Again.