Tag: River

Cambridge

Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics

I went to England in 1999 to see the total eclipse of the sun (it was cloudy). But while I was in London, my brother and I spent the day going up to Cambridge where we visited the University and I was thrilled to come upon the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics … one of the hangouts of Stephen Hawking.

We later walked over to the river Cam and I poled a punt (skiff? … ?) on the river. My brother was a little nervous with my poling … not having been with me during any of the hours I had spent poling my canoe. This was lots easier … not nearly as tippy. It was fun to pole under a bridge on the Cam.

Poling on the River Can
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Upper Dungeness in Summer

Upper Dungeness in Summer

It’s getting colder and staying damp … signs that autumn is starting to move into winter. The first snowflakes of the fall/winter are in the forecast for this weekend (but temps too warm for it to stick around long). I saw this image and it reminded me that the warm, sunny weather will come again. This is the Upper Dungeness in the Olympic National Forest in the eastern corner of the Olympic Peninsula.

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River Bend

River Bend

This was taken from a favorite spot of mine along the North Fork Skokomish River in the Olympic National Park. As you may remember (if you are a regular follower) the North Fork valley burned its full length this summer. With the weather we have had the fire is no longer burning. However, there still is no access to the area due to the hazardous conditions: falling rocks, branches and trees. I have some hope that this is one area that survived with only partial loss of trees. Interestingly enough, the area along the trail on the uphill side in this area was burned back in the late 1980’s (I saw the smoke from near my house in Seattle). There are a few burned snags in the left side of this image. While that area burned, there were many scattered trees that survived. I am hopeful that is the case in this area. I am looking forward to taking a look next spring if the area is open to the public.

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Sol Duc Falls

Sol Duc Falls – 1 (upstream from the bridge)

We hiked to Sol Duc Falls on the first day of the government shutdown. The ranger station / toll booth was closed so I didn’t have to show my lifetime pass. The Sol Duc River is on the Northwest corner of the Olympic National Park … there is a fully commercialized hot springs about 2 miles below the falls … getting to the falls is a short hike (about .7 miles or 1.1 km) up the Sol Duc Trail – which is a section of the High Divide Loop … the most heavily visited back country area in the park. It’s a well maintained trail, but has a lot of exposed roots from having the dirt eroded away from the hikers constant tread.

Sol Duc Falls – 2 (downstream from the bridge)

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Rivers and Streams

Upper Duckabush River

What’s a river? What’s a stream or creek? The amount of water doesn’t tell the whole story. Where on the river are you? These photos were taken in the Olympic National Park, so they aren’t long rivers or creeks, but they can carry a lot of water, especially in winter.

The image above shows the Duckabush River over 20 miles up the valley from the mouth. The location is where the Duckabush River Trail crosses the river (via ford) and starts the climb to Marmot Lake and then up to O’Neil Pass.

The photo below is Home Sweet Home Creek just about where it enters the Duckabush River, adding to its volume. This creek runs down from First Divide … the pass between the Duckabush Valley and the North Fork Skokomish. There is no bridge crossing this stream … go rock hopping or wade, your choice.

Home Sweet Home Creek
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