Sol Duc is a “resort” in the park, with hot springs, campgrounds, RV camping, a waterfall, a hike through an ancient forest, and the salmon cascades. I stopped at the ancient forest trail, which is an easy, perhaps 1 mile loop among trees as much as 750 or 850 years old when the signs were put up. Not as mossy as the Hall of Moss, with a few nurse trees, and a marshy section where the yellow flowers of the skunk cabbage were in blossom, dominated by tall, large trees. From there I shot up to the waterfall walk, 1.2 miles one way, where a blue bird that I have never seen before was flitting about the parking area. The trail was easy. I met a couple hikers, Missy and her husband, from Texas, I forget his name, sorry! but only remember Missy because it is such an unusual name.
The highlight, however, was the Salmon Cascades, which is a hop, skip, and a long jump off the road. When I arrived, a young couple said the fish were jumping. An elderly man said they were salmon, that there were eight species that run at different times. I was lucky enough to catch some good pictures.
I stopped at the Nature Bridge Campus for another 1 mile walk to a waterfall, before moving onto Port Angels, which was full of pleasant surprises. The ‘best’ Chinese restaurant on the Peninsula, the Dynasty, was walking distance from my motel. I had to point to the menu items that I wanted for the waitress, but the meal was very, very good.
After dinner, I walked down a side street to a small park overlooking the harbor. A line of vehicles obscured two racoons from me as I approached. Luckily, I was far to one side, when I noticed them. They had seen me first, one stood on his hind legs to warn me away. I kept my distance, as they were fed by people from one of the cars. I’ve met bears, rattlesnakes, but I was more afraid of those two racoons, because were used to being fed, they no longer feared people.
Back at the budget motel, I was surprised by the force of the shower. I posted on Facebook: OMG. If you’re old enough to remember when shower heads were like fire houses, exfoliate? Stand in the shower. Massaging shower? Pfff. Align your spine? Stand in the shower. Remember when showers were for adults, unsafe for kids under four feet? Gravity fed water from mountain top shower.” It was fantastic.
Living in a Tunnel 