Michael Tomaszewski 9/4/23 Michael Tomaszewski 9/4/23

Travel Blog #9: Olympic National Park Day 1

travel through Olympic national Park with a Nikon F2

I have read numerous reviews of Olympic National Park and how remarkable it is to have three distinct ecosystems in such a small area. One thing I hadn’t read about as part of these articles and reviews is how the park roads are set up to keep them separate and there’s not an easy way to go from one to the next. The basic structure is a giant circle with tendrils drifting into each attraction or area, completely disconnected from the rest as a separate adventure. Olympic has plenty of accessible areas, but this was probably the least accessible for people with mobility concerns to see the good stuff. Trails are rugged, muddy, and generally will need to be hiked by someone with some endurance to make it out and back.

Day one we decided to concentrate on the 2 main waterfalls: Marymere and Sol Duc Falls. They are not the most spectacular waterfalls we saw on the trip, but at this point it was about the hike to see them and getting to experience the Mountain Forest. Being there early, the lakes were serenely calm and the temperature was that perfect crispness where you almost need a long sleeve shirt but not quite. For some reason I decided to shoot Black and White on the trip to Marymere Falls, and most of them turned out well but did not show how beautiful the greenery was. They were also almost all underexposed which made it look like we were hiking through a stormy day. I’ve now learned a little better how to shoot in woods with deep shadows and bright sun at the same time, but not this day.

Getting to Marymere was a lovely hike alongside a creek. It looks like it probably crests several feet higher in the spring but while we were there, we could have easily waded across it. There are plenty of signs asking you not to do it though as it would disturb nests the fish have laid their eggs in, and they provide a sturdy bridge that brings you to the base of the falls. The trail to the falls itself is a somewhat difficult loop. It’s a steep dirt trail, but easier if you follow it counterclockwise. This brings you directly to the top of the falls, and then you can take a few flights of very steep wood and dirt stairs down to the lower part of the falls. It’s not unsafe in any way even if does feel a little treacherous at times and very worth it to visit both. That being said, my personal favorite part of this hike was crossing on a felled tree which was cut in half to make a bridge. It was very sturdy with handrails which makes me believe it was fully intentional, but it did make it feel a little more adventurous.

Leaving the crisp mountain hike and driving across to Sol Duc Falls was so drastic it felt like two entirely different parks. Sol Duc is kind of the poster child for the park. Photos of it are on all their marketing and most of the merch at the park stores. Getting from the trailhead to the falls wasn’t too terrible with the trail itself being well maintained and has a few nice sets of stairs to get up and down elevation. The forest was so green and mossy I thought this was considered their rainforest…it’s not, but if you only have time for one thing to do at Olympic this would be my first choice. There is a very cool bridge crossing high over the river below with a perfect view of the falls. It’s a bit wet and most of the people crossing over it stop for pictures, so expect to wait a few minutes for your turn. This was also the place where I finally saw someone shooting an analog camera for only the second time this trip. I honestly had expected to see a lot more people shooting film so I would feel like less of a weirdo using a 60-year-old setup. If you have the time to stick around it’s worth spending a few minutes to walk past the recommended viewing area, the bridge, and scramble down closer to the water for the view. The roots of the trailside trees hold the soil in such a way it makes steps to get down and doesn’t take too much effort as long as you have a reasonable sense of balance and leg strength.

We wrapped up the day a tad bit early and headed back toward the hotel and spent a little time shopping at the thrift shops around town in Sequim, where I bought a completely unnecessary digital camera just because it looked cool. They also had a pink hamburger stand in the middle of town named Tootsie’s with what I’ve been told was an amazing gluten free, soy free burger near the old mill. If you’re traveling through and need a recommendation, the Comfort Inn has fresh cookies every night and a super cool group of staff that will visit your website if you chat with them and give them a business card.

Michael Tomaszewski 7/31/23 Michael Tomaszewski 7/31/23

Travel Blog #4: King’s Canyon & Sequoia National Park

Travel through Kings Canyon and Sequioa national park

Traveling from Death Valley to King’s Canyon and Sequoia National Park was the most drastic day to day change we experienced on this trip. When we left Death Valley, it had just gotten to 101 degrees F, and when we arrived at the northwest gate of King’s Canyon, the thermometer in the car was reading 56 degrees. The drive from the hotel was incredible as well, passing through massive orange and olive groves. Gas stations were clean, and people were friendly. Unfortunately, large parts of Sequoia National Park and the entrance we had originally planned to use were still closed due to residual snow. What we were able to visit was amazing, and easily accessible too. Due to the closures, this was one of our shorter “in park” days, but it was worth the half day to see it.

Getting to the park, we weren’t told ahead of time we should get there early but we did, arriving around 9am. The main draw for us was to see General Grant, the second largest Giant Sequoia in the world (33 ft in diameter). Accessing the trailhead was incredibly easy. The park service knows when they need to make something simple to get to. If you take the main trail clockwise, you can see a direct view of the tree in its entirety after only a few hundred yards. The trail is paved well and people of any age and ability should be able to get there without any issue. General Grant is the only living object in the United States recognized as a National Shrine, and when you get to see it up close there is a majesty that makes everything else just feel so small.

We took the trail counterclockwise which was only slightly challenging with mild inclines and a few switchbacks. This would be the way I recommend, because it lets you see a few interesting, felled logs (big enough to camp in) from the top first and gets you to the more pedestrian views eventually. I do think if I would have taken the trail in reverse I wouldn’t have been as impressed as I was for this pretty short trip. There is also a very accessible section to clamber up some hillsides and climb on fallen trees, stumps, and boulders. There were so many kids running around it felt like a backwoods playground. This is also where you can first see a little bit of not just General Grant, but where part of it was scarred by fire. There are many scarred trees in this park (and the Redwoods) and it’s hard to imagine how big these fires have to be to destroy such massive behemoths, yet General Grant still stands.

The only other major feature we went to was Panoramic Point Overlook. If you want to see this (and I highly recommend you do) make sure you use the map the Ranger station provides. We did not see any signs for it, and I suspect there are a lot of people that miss out on this or arrive later than planned because there just isn’t a sign that tells you where to turn off the main drive. The trek to get there felt a little dangerous, and it’s probably impossible to try with an RV or anything larger than a Yukon or Escalade. Once you pass the campground, the drive is steep and has some of the sharpest switchbacks I’ve ever driven. There was still melting snowbanks on the side of the roads making little creeks across the path and several spots were only wide enough for a single car. We got there early enough for traffic to be light, not encountering anyone trying to come back down yet.

After a few miles we arrived at the trailhead, and it felt like a different world. The trees were not as big as in Grants Grove, but they were beautiful and ethereal. The damaged trees looked like they were coming alive with white tentacles and there was plenty of moss, which to me means it doesn’t get much light. The trail is paved and moderately steep incline. The trail map shows there are two ways to get to the viewpoint and makes it seem like they are separate…they aren’t. If you take the trail to the left, it’s a steeper but shorter half mile walk. It’s very accessible though and has plenty of spots to take a break. The lower viewing area is nice, and honestly, I thought it was worth the trip, but then there is a higher viewpoint accessible for only the cost of a hundred yards or so of more hiking. This is the spot you need to get to. There is much more room to move around, and the angles are just slightly better and allows you to get a panorama of the Sierra Nevada, and an incredible lake I couldn't find the name of. This was the first spot on this trip I considered might be the place I would take a photo for an art show I plan on entering this year. I had expectations for this to be a nice spot but had only taken a film camera for the hike. Once we got back to the lot, I knew I needed to go back with my digital because I wanted to guarantee I got the shot on this one. It was an energizing walk.

For the walk back down, we decided to finish the loop which made a 1-mile hike into a 1.5-mile hike, but the inclines were easier. Accessibility wasn’t quite as good though. It was only partially paved and there were several spots with fallen trees blocking the path. Easy to hop over for us, but if you have someone in a wheelchair or limited mobility it would be next to impossible to get past this section.

Our day in Sequoia was short and challenging from a photography perspective but absolutely worth the time we spent there. I do not recommend Black and White shots here, the combination of high sun, low light under the canopy and variable shadows were very hard for me. I got a few “okay” shots, but color showed best.

One final note, we got there around 9 am California time and had no trouble getting in. On the way out, the line had grown exponentially, and the “your wait time from here” signs on the side of the road showed people would be waiting at least an hour just to get to the entry gate. If you plan to go, make sure you get there early and check the nps.gov website for weather and closure updates because it changes fast.