Sometimes it’s really worth getting your feet wet, even if the water is really cold. In this case, wading across this stream (and a little hike uphill) gave us the perspective below. Well, that little wading plus a few days hiking. These were taken in Martins Park in the Central Olympic National Park.
On a dayhike up to Martins Park above Low Divide (between the Elwha and North Fork Quinault river valleys in the Olympic National Park), we saw this black bear browsing the fresh greens. We were a little nervous … the above photo was taken with a normal lens … not a telephoto. But we had seen black bears a number of times before and hadn’t found them aggressive. Regardless, we didn’t stay around to do any bear watching. Our nervousness increased quite dramatically when the bear followed us for a mile or so down to near where our campsite was at Low Divide. We took special care to bear proof our food that night.
Martins Park is located above the Low Divide between the Elwha and North Fork Quinault Valleys. It is a beautiful area that is protected (somewhat) by the 20 mile or more distance from the trailhead. Above is the view looking south showing Mt Christie and the access trail into the area. Below is another of the lakes (they are collectively called Martins Lakes). Late in the summer, the lakes can provide a very refreshing swimming experience … at least after the water has warmed up some after the snow has melted.
