This morning Ally went to the Ranger station at Kalaloch to complete her Junior Ranger workbook and she met "Birdie".
Birdie really liked Ally and while Ally signed her Junior Ranger workbook Birdie got out her camera. She wanted to remember Ally.
We want to remember Birdie so I took a photo too. She was a lot of fun!
After that we went to another area of Olympic National Park, the Hoh Rain Forest. It was raining but isn't that what it is supposed to do in a rain forest?
All that moisture sure makes our hair go from fluffy to flat in a hurry.
It's a very neat place with huge trees and lots of mosses hanging from the trees.
There are lots of ferns and interesting plants growing on the forest floor.
The roots of the living and dying trees take on fascinating shapes.
The nurse logs provide nourishment for the young trees. When the nurse log rots away the young trees stand on their own with the top of their roots exposed. They look like they have legs.
There are many trails in this part of the park. Today we're going to hike the "Hall of Mosses".
It's hard to imagine how these mosses get enough nourishment to survive from just air and light.
This almost looks like a Mistletoe Ball but no, it's a Moss Ball.
The ferns on the forest floor glisten with moisture.
These shelf fungii on a dying spruce tree are very beautiful.
Ally walks along a massive fallen spruce tree...
...and walks...
...and walks...
...to the end. She has only walked a portion (190') of this giant.
That was one big tree.
We returned to the visitor center and saw a display of the "10 Essentials" that every backpacker should carry. This was one of the things Ally learned about in her Junior Ranger program. Here is what they are as they are displayed: 1. Extra food and water 2. Firestarter 3. First aid kit 4. Matches in a water proof container 5. Sunglasses/sunscreen 6. Compass (preferably with a GPS receiver 7. Extra clothes 8. Knife 9. Outdoor headlamp/flashlight 10. Map of the area you are hiking. Thought you'd want to know!
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