These shore pines are contorted by the near constant wind along the Pacific beaches of the Olympic National Park. Easy to tell which way the wind blows.
Contorted Shore Pines
Mt Baker
These are both taken with telephoto lenses, so you get some of the foreshortening effect. The top image is from Dungeness Spit near Sequim, Washington. You can walk 8 miles along the spit out to the lighthouse there. You need to be aware of the tides, though, or you may end up walking on the driftwood … a lot more difficult going than walking the beach. The Point Wilson lighthouse is on the grounds of Fort Worden State Park, right at the point where the Strait of Juan de Fuca meets Puget Sound.
Alders in Winter
While Douglas Fir, Hemlock and Western Red Cedar make up the climax forest in the Olympic National Park, Alders are a significant presence in newly disturbed areas and along river banks. I thought this was an interesting stand … seemingly sorted by height. Taken along the Elwha river near the current ‘end of the road’.
Elwha Valley
This is the view of the valley of the Elwha River from Hurricane Ridge. The Elwha River runs down through the middle of the Olympic National Park. All these valleys were behind the Glines Canyon Dam for over 100 years. With the removal of the dam, all of these rivers are now wild and the salmon and steelhead runs are returning.
Looking Up
One of the keys to observation is to keep your eyes moving. That means keeping your head moving too, including looking up. I have always tried to remember to include looking up. I have a lot of shots that I have taken looking up through the trees … and most of them are pretty boring. I like this one, though.
Taken along the Dosewallips Trail in the Olympic National Forest. Those are big leaf maples with a couple of spruce mixed in (and maybe a couple of alders in the top.