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Exploring the Quinault Rain Forest
Text and Photography Copyright Nandakumar Sankaran - All rights reserved.
A mention of the word rainforest conjures up mental images of exotic flora and fauna.
While this is true of a tropical rainforest, a temperate rainforest is a markedly
different biome. As the name suggests, these rainforests exist in the temperate
regions of the world - between the tropics and the arctic regions. The largest concentration
of temperate rainforests is found in the western coastal region of North America
stretching from Washington to Alaska with other notable regions being found on the
southern coast of Chile, and the western coasts of New Zealand and Tasmania in Australia.
Perhaps the most well-known and accessible of such rainforests are those protected
by the United States National Parks system at the Olympic National Park in Washington
state around the Hoh, Quinault and Queets rivers.
Unlike tropical rainforests, temperate rainforests have marked seasonal variations.
Cool winters reduce the number of different life forms that inhabit these rainforests,
resulting in a less complex ecology. These regions receive very heavy rainfall and
as a result, biomass per acre in a temperate rainforest (roughly about 200 lb per
square yard) is higher than in a tropical rainforest. The mild climate coupled with
very generous rainfall enables trees such as the Western Red Cedar, Western Hemlock
and Broadleaf Maples to grow to gigantic sizes, unfortunately also making them very
valuable timber lands. About 44% of North America's original temperate rainforest
lands have now been lost to development. Common sights in these rainforests are
fallen "nurse" logs that nurture new seedlings and resut in "colonnades" or rows
of trees that got their start on a single nurse log. If a tree got its start on
top of a broken tree stump, as the stump decays, it leaves the roots exposed, giving
the appearance of a tree on stilts.
Quinault rainforest is less known and visited than the Hoh rainforest. Portions
of this rainforest lie within the National Forest lands. Mosses and lichens drape
the maples, forming a microcosm for plant growth, particularly ferns. This locale's
fauna includes Deer, Elk, Mountain Lions, Bears, Bald Eagles and the largest slugs
in North America, the Banana Slug. Particularly in the winter off-season, one can
pretty much have this rainforest all to themselves. In fact, I prefer the off-season
for photographing these forests because the heavier rains during this season thoroughly
drench the trees, giving them more saturated colors.
On this trip during the last week of February, we explored the regions around the
lake, using Lake Quinault Lodge as our base and for accomodation. On August 28,
1924 a 32-room hotel built in this area in 1912 went up in flames when a defective
flue leading from the kitchen range caught fire. Subsequently, this rustic lodge
was designed by Robert Reamer, a Seattle architect who had previously designed the
Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone in 1903. The lodge, built in a record time of 53
days and opened to the public on August 18, 1926, is an ideal getaway from urban
life but with all the basic amenities and activities. Views of the lake are marvellous
from just about anywhere in the Roosevelt dining room. Across the south shore road
from the lodge is the Quinault Mercantile, built in 1918 and still in use today
as a mini grocery mart.
GETTING HERE: Drive on US 101 in the Olympic peninsula between Forks and Aberdeen
to milepost 125. Turn east on to South Shore Road.
Within 1.5 miles, you will arrive at the Quinault Rainforest trailhead. I highly
recommend exploring the nature loop trail (#855); it gives the first-time visitor
a very good and easy introduction to a temperate rainforest. Hiking in a clockwise
direction, the first 1/2 mile of the trail is barrier free and wheelchair accessible.
Very near the trailhead is an imposing 400 year old Cedar tree with a viewing platform
constructed around the base of its trunk. Just past the tree, a trail branches to
the left, crosses Willaby creek and leads to the Lake Quinault lodge. The main loop
trail continues on a cliff, flanked on both sides by old, tall trees and beautiful
maidenhair fern. Where the flora blocks views of the cascading river down below,
the gurgling sound betrays its presence. Halfway through the loop, you will come
upon an informational hut and a junction in the trail. Turn right to complete the
loop. Just before this junction, look to your right for a view of a new tree growing
on a nurse log. The dark exposed roots of the new tree is in stark contrast with
the brownish nurse log.
Continuing eastwards on the South Shore road, within a mile or so, you will find
Lake Quinault Lodge and the National Forest Ranger Station. A ranger told us the
freezing cold early next morning that she had just encountered, on her way driving
in to work, a small herd of Roosevelt Elk (Cervus elaphus) in a clearing right beside
the road, a few miles east. Unfortunately, they were gone by the time we visited
that area.
Just past milepost 6, you will arrive at a bridge and a small parking lot beyond.
On the right side of the road is photogenic Merriman falls. Pavement soon ends and
the road follows quinault river on the south side. Moss covered Red Alder becomes
a common sight on either side of the road, which soon turns into a single lane lane
with turnouts, entering national park lands. You definitely have to watch out for
massive potholes but at least the road is devoid of washboarding. At the point where
a left turn heads on a bridge over the Quinault river, head straight. Fine views
of stands of Red Alder on the opposite side of the river and other stretches flanked
by broadsword fern and heavily moss draped trees makes navigating the degraded road
worth the hassle. In 6 more miles, the road ends past the Graves Creek ranger station
at the campground. Graves Creek Nature Trail is a one-mile loop trail starting at
the far end of the campground loop. At that time of the year, vegetation was overgrown
over the trail. Since we were alone in Cougar territory and were travelling with
a small child, we decided to skip this trail. If you are in the mood for a longer
hike in this area, try the Enchanted Valley trail.
Retracing our path on the South Shore road, we turned right and crossed the bridge
over Quinault river, turning left on North Shore road. The road winds through Red
Alder and soon becomes narrow and winding. During the climb up a cliff, this is
pretty much a single lane road with occasional pulluots. Fortunately, being off-season
we did not encounter a single vehicle driving in the opposite direction. Soon the
road levels out and after winding its way through fine swathes of broadsword ferns
on both sides of road, it turns into paved road and you start seeing signs of civilization.
Quinault River ranger station soon comes up on the right, before crossing over Kestner
creek.
Kestner homestead loop trail starts at the ranger station. This is a flat, wheelchair
accessible trail, paralleling Kestner creek on the south side. As we negotiated
a bend near the Kestner Quigley homestead area, we suddenly encountered a large
herd of elk in the clearing. Being highly wary by nature, the elk heard us coming
and started scampering into the nearby forest. At the edge of the forest, they waited
and observed us. We hiked through the homestead, past abandoned trucks and farm
equipment and entered the same forest in which the elk had previously hidden. For
the next third of a mile, we could still see them through the foliage, watching
our movements. Soon, the trail branches to the left, meeting the easy 1/2 mile Maple
Glade loop trail. A boardwalk leads past massive trees and a swamp filled with skunk
cabbage that was starting to bloom at this time.
Continuing on the North Shore road, you pass Locherie resort on your left and then
the July creek picnic area. Almost directly across the road from Lake Quinault Resort
is the 0.2 mile Big cedar trail. The tree is estimated to be 2000 years old and
despite a huge cavity in the trunk that is big enough to hide a minivan, it is still
alive. Even more amazing is that a 10 feet tall hemlock tree is currently growing
at its top!
IF YOU GO: Here are some links that will help you plan your trip
About the Author
More of Nandakumar Sankaran's work can be seen on his website, Crooked Trunk Photography.
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