Amazing Iceland

Water is deceiving.  Clear and fluid, water can magnify or it can hide whatever may lie beneath.  Water will expand when heated and will expand when frozen.  At birth we are seventy five percent water; we are bound to it.  It is water that creates the illusion that the world is flat and for those who sail upon on it, water carries them around the world. It is the big blue reflecting seas that give shine to our small bright planet in the universe.

Removing all the water of the oceans would reveal the largest mountain ranges on earth, hidden below the surface.  From the southern tip of Africa to the Arctic Circle, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge breaks through the water surface in only eight locations.  One of those mountain summits we call Iceland.  The summit of Hvannadalshnjúkur rises to 6,921 feet above sea level on this small island.  The highlands of Iceland are massive glacial capped volcanoes, but the lowlands are green and stunningly beautiful; giving a rich life to those that live there.  A visit to Iceland is a serene and inspiring experience.

Two tectonic plates, a divergent boundary, spread nearly an inch every year.  At Iceland’s Pingvellir National Park you can walk in between the steep jagged edges of the European and North American continents as they shift and rise to the sky. Magma is close to the surface and heats the water below.  Hot water, much too hot to touch, oozes from the land. Icy glacial melt pours from the high mountains delivering cold river water and mixes with the hot thermals to create “hot pots”, as they are called in Iceland.  In the Haukadalur Valley there is a trail that meanders alongside open steam vents and turquoise thermal pools and here you will find the most perfect hot pots to sooth your mind and body on a picturesque mountain side after an enjoyable walk on the tundra. 

The first settlement of Iceland began 1,200 years ago and the Vikings and Scandinavians that followed created a unique and lasting culture that will treat you like family and leave you wanting to return not only to explore deeper into this fantastic land, but return to visit your Icelandic  friends. Iceland is a bit more than half the size of Washington State, but with only about 300,000 inhabitants you will find a vast untouched wilderness as wild as a new land can be and locals who are happy to greet you and welcome you to their amazing land. 

A visit to the highlands will bring you close to Arctic foxes and herds of caribou.  Pelagic birds, such as Atlantic Puffins and Northern Gannets nest by the thousands on the ocean cliffs of Látrabjarg and it is truly a site to see. The calling puffins sound like sputtering chainsaws and the mesmerizing sound carries over the ocean waves.  Icelanders love their boats, so it is nice to be able to take a cruise on the water to see the whales.  As you travel through the countryside, you will find the very sweet Icelandic Horse.  Stocky and strong these horses can carry you across the fields on a pleasant horseback ride to view the landscape and get a good sighting of a beautiful white speckled Rock Ptarmigan standing upon a black lava rock.  

Reykjavík is the capitol of Iceland. Neighborhood streets are lined with rows of colorful houses and the unique Icelandic architecture of modern high rise buildings, edges the downtown.  The oldest structure, built in 1762, currently houses a restaurant.  The food in Iceland is amazing and everything is gourmet and home grown.  For those that travel to Iceland for the first time, the “must do” tradition of eating a chunk of Hákarl (fermented poisonous shark) swallowed down with a good and necessary shot of Brennivín is an experience that will not be forgotten.  Brennivín translates as “burning wine”.

Iceland has a diverse economy.  Fishing, manufacturing, aluminum smelting, tourism and software development make Iceland one of the most productive countries in the world per capita.  Icelandic wool sweaters and a growing outdoor gear industry make for great shopping, so bring an empty piece of luggage for the return trip.

In the cold air of winter, water falls from the sky as glistening snowflakes with enough weight to compress into ice and slides down the mountainside carving the land like a sculptor, slow and easy. When the sky is dark, these ice sheets become blankets of brilliant color reflecting the green and purple glow of the aurora borealis streaming across the sky.  With massive glaciers melting every summer, the waterfalls of Iceland are stunning.  The Dettifoss waterfall, located in Vatnajökull National Park, is the largest waterfall by volume and at times can make the ground shake.  A waterfall called Seljalandsfoss, with a wispy 200 foot veil of water falling and a walking trail that sneaks behind the falls, is most beautiful of all. Water creates; giving to amazing Iceland.

If you would like to visit Iceland and join a tour, considering traveling with me at Kaiyote Tours.  You can check out tours to Iceland at KaiyoteTours.com.  You will see and experience amazing waterfalls, glaciers, volcanoes, whale watching, birding, eating at the finest restaurants in Reykjavik, off-road Super-Jeep exploring, walking the incredible landscape of this amazing island, soaking in natural thermal hot springs, sleeping at great hotels, snuggling in cozy cabins, Nordic shopping, Icelandic horses and charming Vikings!

Heather Park

The cold came early to Port Angeles.  Temperatures are reliably moderate, but Thanksgiving week-end brought record cold and snow.  It was nineteen degrees on a clear and cold morning when I set out for Heather Park in Olympic National Park.  Heather Park is known for bright blankets of wildflowers in July and although it is the last day of November and my first trip to Heather Park, I know mountains shine just as bright in the winter.

I awake at sea level and a short 15 minute drive later I’m at 2,100 feet at the Heart O’ the Hills entrance to Olympic. Having left my hiking boots in the car overnight, they offer no warmth as I take my first steps on the trail. Several inches of snow crunch under foot and it is the only sound I hear on this most quiet and still morning.  Deep green colors of Sword ferns and Salal plants reach through the frosty snow and won’t let you forget that this is still a rainforest. 

The trail is steep and never relents; a thousand feet for every mile.  The highest crowns of tall Western Red Cedars and Douglas Firs are out of sight and make the steep terrain seem even more of a struggle, but every switchback and every cascading creek pulls your mind along.  “Here, around this corner, a little farther, I think the top is near….” At about 4,700 feet, the snow is two feet deep and I am thinking: “Why are my snowshoes in my storage locker?”  Gray Jays gather to stare and wonder about me as well.

The trees start to get smaller and the views become tremendous.  Looking down the valley, all the way to the bottom and across the resting sea is a crystal clear view of Mount Baker and on a day like this, the completely snow covered volcano reflects every bit of sunshine and towers on the horizon.  At the edges of Heather Park, small stands of sub-alpine firs are completely buried in snow and become bright white spires amongst the black outcropping of rocky ridges.

There is no hiding your presence in the winter world of snow.  Little feet are everywhere. I can see where a Snowshoe Hare has been nibbling the tops of small trees that can’t normally be reached without snow.  Nearby are the tracks of where a Douglas Squirrel was digging for a well hidden cache of pine cones.  The tiny tracks of voles and mice, with the occasional hint of a tail dragging in the snow, reveal their trails from one small shelter den to the next.  Even the faint tracks of a grouse were seen.  But it was the stretch of that grouse’s wing that left the most beautiful imprint of all with the artful wisp of the edges of flight feathers imprinting the top layer of sparkling snowflakes.  

The top, the summit, the end is only the halfway point. It is always nice to have a destination, to have a goal, but it is truly the journey that is the most rewarding of all and it is time to head home again. 

Finding the Little River

There is a trail that leads into Olympic National Park called the Little River.  The trail head is small and easy to miss if you are moving too fast along the roadway.  A small wooden sign and a slight cut of the trees, marks the opening into the forest.  If you have drifted too far or have become distracted for too long, step into the wilderness of the Olympic Peninsula to find yourself again.  Floating and drifting aimlessly across the liquid plane of the planet, bring yourself to solid ground by following these simple and easy directions to the Little River Trail:

Forty eight degrees arcs across the north Pacific and will pull you into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. When the sea is angry, take shelter in the small harbor of Port Angeles.  The curve of the rocky spit will reach for you and take you in amongst the turnstones. If the darkness hides your way, move slow and hold fast to the lights of the city shore. Drop anchor alongside the tankers and cargo ships with their towers high above the sight line of the horizon.  The thunder of their chains dropping will make you feel irrelevant and small.  Listen for the water falling as the ships empty the ballast holds; salty sea water back to the sea. Glaucous-winged gulls, posted and guarding, will scream and laugh at you as you try to find your way. Look west, the huffing and puffing pulp mill whistles and blows with darkened steam that reveals the course of wind that carried and keeps you here.  

Logs are everywhere; floating in the harbor, stacked on the land.  Loaded trucks with pup trailers in tow, haul logs down the mountain, rounding the stacks to pile the logs high.  The smell of cedar and pine drifts on the wind as the stripped bark and shredded coats of the trees gives way to the inner core of strength.  Bulker and reefer ships float in the harbor waiting for the weight of the load that will sink them down to the waterline, giving force against the waves.  The water dogs gather on the mass of sorted logs floating in the bay.  They snort and bark at the day and through the night, belching and groaning to be heard.  At the tip of the hook of land that makes the rocky spit, sits the ready bright boats and helicopter of the Coast Guard and the neighboring house of ship pilots waiting for their next run of maneuvering freighters through Puget Sound.  Keep an eye alert and you might catch a glimpse of the hard steel grey predators belonging to the navy.  Find your way to the marina waterfront of fishing and pleasure boats and the north edge of the Olympic Peninsula.  This is the port of Port Angeles, where tall corrugated steel buildings house the boats and their builders who work to restore what the sea has taken and repair what has broken for those that have faltered.

Board your dingy, paddle ashore and take to the land following the route of the Black Diamond. The wet dark pavement will take you away from the edge of the cityscape and through a small band of rural land where you will find farms and small wineries.  At the edge of this countryside, the vast Olympic wilderness of nearly two and a half million acres begins and so too begins the Little River trail. Step onto this mountain path and find yourself in a thick rainforest with big trees and big ferns. The understory is a blanket of bright spongy moss and forest debris.  Don’t expect to cover much distance with your boots on the ground, for around every bend is another moment that slows your stride with another big breath of wonderment.

Small wrens will alert the forest of your arrival. Brown, plain and very small, the decisive chirp of the Pacific Wren is loud and directs all to hear as it darts and hides beneath the fallen trees and broken branches on the forest floor.  The regeneration and perseverance of life never pauses; no sooner does a branch or tree fall, when a new life starts to grow on what has fallen.  The color green is everywhere, with infinite hues you never knew.  The trail follows the Little River with numerous waterfalls and cascades that bubble and roil out loud as you find your way through the misty world of rain and forest.  There is a lot of distance that can be traveled on this trail.  The beginning of the trail is an easy slope that meanders alongside the river, but the trail will begin to climb and climb to the heights of the clouds that made the forest rain.   If you choose to, you can continue up the trail for eight miles and rise four thousand feet through the trees to find yourself atop Hurricane Ridge soaring high above the reflecting sea below.  Your discovery and your treasure will be the time that was spent on this small patch of earth that gave you those lasting thoughts of love and beauty that surrounded and held you for those short moments. 

My Washington bird list has reached 85 with the additional of these species: Brewer’s Blackbird, Cooper’s Hawk, Long-tailed Duck, Hooded Merganser, Osprey, Pigeon Guillemot, Red-necked Grebe, Black Oyster-catcher, Common Golden-eye and Ruddy Turnstone

Lake Angeles

Yesterday I hiked to Lake Angeles, a beautiful mountain lake that sits at the base of a small glacial cirque at 4,196 feet (1,279m).  Hiking to the lake is a bit of a climb for the trail gains 2,350 feet (719m) in 3.5 miles (5.6km). 

The trail starts out near the Heart O' the Hills entrance station in Olympic National Park. Immediately as you step onto the trail, you are in a deep forest with a thick understory. Sword ferns, Polystichum munitum, bow at the edge of the trail and remind you that getting off the trail is nearly impossible. The thick dark green leaves of Salal, Gaultheria shallon,  shine with the drops of rainwater as you pass by. For the first mile, the sound of falling water resonates through the trees as the trail follows along side the Ennis Creek.  

As the trail rises, the understory thins to minimal patches of vegetation and mostly needles and compost. The trees become a thick stand forming a shadowing canopy at the top.  The calls of Pacific wrens (Troglodytes pacificus) become the dominant sound as the forest becomes very quiet without even a breeze.  In 1898 there was a fire in the area and this forest is second growth with a lot of young trees still racing to the top for a touch of sunshine.    

On this trail you will feel the calming and quieting gift of the trees.  Big trees that you will see along this trail:  Western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), Douglas fir (Psuedotsuga menziesii) and Grand fir (Abies grandis).  Smaller deciduous trees that can be seen are the Red alder (Alnus rubra) and Bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum). The leaves of the alders and maples have turned yellow for the autumn and where they are abundant, their leaves blanket the trail. 

Above is Lake Angeles with a dusting of snow on the ridge on a wonderful autumn day.  

Hoh Rain Forest

All National Parks have something unique that made them worthy to be recognized and preserved for future generations.  Olympic was first created as a national monument by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1909. In 1938 President Franklin Roosevelt declared Olympic a national park.  In 1988 congress designated 95% of the Olympic National Park as a federal wilderness area. 

Why all the fuss?  The Pacific temperate rain forest is the largest in the world.  Olympic National Park is one of the largest preserved areas within that region.  Besides the rain forest, Olympic National Park contains the Olympic Mountains and the Pacific coastline.  Due to several long periods of glaciation and sculpting by the Cordilleran ice sheet, which advanced at least six times into Washington, the Olympic Peninsula has some species that exist no where else.  It is believe that these species became isolated, but also protected within the peninsula and where able to survive.  The Olympic area became a refuge from the extreme conditions that were happening else where. In most recent history, a mere 15,000 years ago, it was the Vashon Glacial period that created what we see today on the peninsula and Puget Sound. 

Pictured below is an American Dipper.  The Hoh Rain Forest receives 150 - 180 inches (380 - 457 cm)  of rain each year.   And so there is also the Hoh River which drains to the west coast on the Pacific side.  Along this river, you might see little grey birds called dippers.  Dippers love fast moving water.  They feed on insects and small fish by dipper into the water.  They are able to stand on the bottom of shallow waters and pick bugs from the river bed. The have a second, clear eyelid that they can see through, called a nictitating membrane which protects their eyes. 

From Port Angeles it is about 70 miles to the entrance of the Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park.  From there if you continue south, there are plenty of spectacular beaches to explore. Pictured below is Ruby Beach at high tide. About 10 miles south of Ruby Beach is the Kalaloch Lodge, which has cabins that overlook the sea.  It is a very beautiful place. 

Pictured below is a Gyrfalcon, Falco rusticolus. This bird is rare on the peninsula.  In the winter a few, however, make the journey.  I was very lucky to see one of these amazing birds at Ruby Beach. It flew by twice and I got some great views.  The third time it flew by, a small group of large gulls noticed and went after the Gyrfalcon and chased it away. Gyrfalcons are the largest of all falcons at 22 inches (55 cm) in length and a wing span of 47 inches (119 cm).  They are inhabitants of the far northern areas of Canada and Alaska.  

After my visit to the Hoh Rain Forest and a few other areas of Olympic National Park, I have increased my Washington state bird list to 75 different species.  Here are the additional birds: American Dipper, American Kestrel, California Quail, Eurasian Collared Dove, Grey Jay, Gyrfalcon, Hermit Thrush, Pacific Wren, Pine Grosbeak, Red-tailed Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Ruffed Grouse. 

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!

Deer Park

One of the best areas for birding  "in the trees" that I have found for this time of year is the Deer Park road.  The road is currently closed to car traffic, but is open for walking.  It is a great walk amongst the pines, cedars and firs.  When the road is open it is about a 9 mile drive to the edge of the alpine. There is a campground there and also trails that lead in several directions.

Views from the Deer Park road.

Pictured below is a Red-breasted Sapsucker, Sphyrapicus ruber, which is a member of the woodpecker family, Picidae.  Sapsuckers eat sap, insects and fruit.  The birds consume sap by drilling holes in trees to get the sap dripping.  These sap wells provide food for not just the sapsuckers, but hummingbirds and insects as well. Rufous Hummingbirds have been known to nest near a sap well and often follow the sapsuckers as they maintain the sap wells. Red-breasted Sapsuckers remain on the peninsula year round. Males and females are nearly identical. 

Deer Park is east and across several valleys from Hurricane Ridge.  You can see the Hurricane Ridge road from the Deer Park road.  The summit of Blue Mountain (6,010 feet or 1,831 meters) can be easily hiked from Deer Park.  From Deer Park there is another trail that will lead you to the summits of Green Mountain (5,622 feet or 1,713 meters) and Maiden Peak (6,434 feet or , 1,961 meters). It is about 3 - 4 miles each way to those peaks and 7.4 miles one way to Obstruction Point. 

Pictured below is a Varied Thrush, Ixoreus naevius. These are one of the most common birds you will see as you hike through the trees. Varied Thrushes are slightly migratory. Some of the birds migrate and some do not. Varied Thrushes can be found on the peninsula year round. Pictured below is a male bird.  Females look very similar, but lack some of the black markings and are a bit more grey in color.  

Hurricane Ridge

My first hike in Olympic National Park was along Hurricane Ridge.  There is a 13 mile road which starts at the "Heart o' the Hills" entrance station and climbs to an elevation of 5,230 feet (1,594 meters).  It is a beautiful drive through the forest with grand views of the area.

There is a 1.5 mile trail that will lead you to the top of Hurricane ridge, summiting at 5,757 feet (1,755 meters). From the summit you can see Port Angeles below.  You can also see Mount Olympus (7,980 feet or 2,432 meters) and the Blue Glacier, which is the largest glacier in the park.  

Pictured above is a White-tailed Ptarmigan, Lagopus leucura, which is the smallest member of the grouse family. Ptarmigan do not migrate and live on the tundra through all the seasons.  The word "tundra" is Russian for "land above the trees".  As mountains rise to the sky, the conditions become too harsh for large plants to survive and grow.  Here only the small will survive and trees become shrubs and eventually can't grow  at all. 

Already by late October the peaks have snow.  Winter is the rainy season and at high elevations in Olympic National Park some mountain tops might receive as much as 200 feet (61 meters) of snow!

Most of the storms roll in from the Pacific.  The Port Angeles side of the mountains is in the rain shadow.  The Olympic mountains are so tall that the peaks will block the storms from getting to the east side of the peninsula.  Port Angeles receives only 26 inches (66 centimeters) of rain and 4 inches (10 centimeters) of snow.  

Pictured above is a Ruffed Grouse, Bonasa umbellus, which is a medium sized grouse.  Ruffed Grouse live in forested areas at lower elevations. They do not migrate.  In the winter they grow comb like projections on their toes, which helps the birds walk on top on the snow.  Ruffed Grouse will burrow into snow drifts to roost for the night.  The snow acts as insulation and keeps them warm. 

Along Hurricane Ridge there are numerous short and easy trails to view the alpine plant life and see a few birds as well.  The views of the mountains from this area are spectacular. In the winter, Hurricane Ridge is one of the best places to go snowshoeing and skiing.

Life at the Marina

The water at the Boathaven Marina at the port of Port Angles is very clear.  The last temperature I took was 57 degrees.  The photo below I took with my cell phone from the dock.  There are numerous jellyfish to be seen. The top of the jellyfish pictured below was about 8 inches across the top. 

There is a wooden seawall that protects the marina.  Everyday birds come to sit and nap on "the wall".  Mew gulls sleep all day, while the Glaucous-winged and Herring gulls are busy feeding and keep an eye on all the activity at the marina.

On the other side of the wooden seawall is a small bay, called Port Angeles Harbor, which is protected by a natural water break called Ediz Hook  or just "the hook".  Often there are several large bulk carriers or "bulker" ships anchored. Timber is one of Port Angeles' main industry and most of these bulkers are coming to take timber to Japan, China and other places in Washington and the States. 

Within the "hook" of Port Angeles, there are plenty of birds and seals to watch.  Pictured below is a male Harlequin duck. Harlequins usually like fast moving waters and ocean surf, but a few hang out in the calm waters of the harbor.  Harlequins come down to Washington for the winter.    

The marina is so well protected that most of the time the water is like glass. 

Pictured below is a Surf scoter. These birds breed on fresh waters of the far north in Canada and Alaska.  They winter along the Pacific coast as far south as the Baja.  

I have seen 62 different bird species in the harbor and immediate surrounding area of Port Angeles in the last two weeks:  Common Loon, Pacific Loon, Horned Grebe, Pied Grebe, Western Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Brand's Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Canada Goose, Cackling Goose, Mallard, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Ringed-neck Duck, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, Bufflehead, Red-breasted Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Bald Eagle, American Coot, Black-bellied Plover, Whimbrel, Black Turnstone, Sanderling, Dunlin, Mew Gull, Herring Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Heermann's Gull, Common Murre, Mourning Dove, Rock Pigeon, Anna's Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Northern Flicker, Steller's Jay, Common Raven, American Crow, Northwestern Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bushtit, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Bewick's Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Townsend's Solitaire, American Robin, Varied Thrush, European Starling, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Spotted Towhee, White-crowned Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Pine Siskin and House Sparrow. 

Pictured above is a Harbor seal. 

The Big Move

After 21 years of living in Estes Park and 16 years of leading hikes and tours in Rocky Mountain National Park, it was time for a new adventure in a new location.  I have found a new home in Port Angeles, Washington.  It was my boat that really made the decision.  I needed to take my boat where I could be a "live-aboard", where I would be close to snowy mountains and where I could live at the edge of the salty sea.  Port Angeles sits on the north edge of the Olympic Peninsula, next to Olympic National Park.  The water here is called the Salish Sea and to get to the Pacific Ocean, just follow the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  Across the strait, you can see Vancouver Island of British Columbia, Canada.

Pictured below is the Boathaven marina at the base of the northern edge of the Olympic Mountains in Olympic National Park.  From sea level the peaks rise to nearly 8,000 feet in about 35 miles....steep! Olympic National Park is 922,000 acres (1,442 sq miles or 3,734 sq kilometers).  The whole Olympic Peninsula (about 4,600 sq miles or 3 million acres) is nearly the size of Connecticut. Olympic National Park includes ecosystems and life zones from the Pacific coastline to the alpine tundra and the temperate rainforest in between.  

The trees here are amazing!  

I will be telling you more about the forest and life on the peninsula in future blogs.  

My boat was towed on it's trailer and covered, 1,567 miles from Lake Granby, Colorado to Port Angeles, Washington.  The photo below was taken the day of arrival in Port Angeles. You can see in the background of the photo that there are boats a bit bigger than mine at the port.  A lot of these boats are taking timber to Japan and China.  Most of the timber harvested here is Douglass Fir.

My boat was lifted off the trailer....

...and set down gently into the salt water.  It was an exciting day.  

Pictured below is my amazing car.  I have owned this car for over 20 years and it now has 352,000 miles on the original engine, transmission, fuel pump and oil pump.  I mention it because I know a lot of you always ask about my car.  Notice the Washington plates.  It is official....I am now a Washington resident.  The car is parked at the dock entrance at the marina.

There are many harbor seals that come around in the marina and bay.  They are hard to photograph.  I found this one below most cooperative! 

Follow my blog and you will learn about Olympic National Park, the Olympic Peninsula and the town of Port Angeles, Washington.