October 26-28 , 2023 Sol Duc Hot Springs, Olympic National Park, Washington

 High of 40, with wind and the sun came out. It was bitter cold.

Salmon Cascades on the Sol Duc River. When the salmon return in the fall to breed they jump up these rapids. Storm King Mountain. It is an old volcano and when it erupted the lava dammed up the glacier carved gorge forming Lake Crescent. 

Lake Crescent with Strom King Mountain at the far end. Don't tread on my redd. A redd is a nest the salmon make in the gravel to lay their eggs in the fall. The eggs hatch in the spring. Walking around in the area of the river can kill the salmon eggs. 

We hiked to Marymere Falls. In the bottom right corner you can see John crossing a bridge along the trail, made of a single huge log. Marymere Falls drops nearly 90 feet.

Marymere falls from the trail. A big tree growing over a really big rock. 

Ferns growing out of the moss on a tree trunk. The Storm King ranger station. We went to the hot springs when we got back. 

High of 40 and sunny with some wind. Not that you would know it was sunny in the deep dark forest. It was freezing cold. We hiked up Barnes Creek today. It was so freezing cold I didn't want to take my gloves off to take photos. A small fall on the trail. The rain/snow brought down most of the remaining fall leaves onto the ground and foliage. 

Fall leaves on the ground. 

John ducking under a huge log over the trail. Rain drops on a fern, a 10 inch mushroom, moss and ferns on a rock wall, puff balls, frosty leaves on the ground. 

We are at Sol Duc Hot springs in the Soleduck valley. Soleduck is the anglicized version of the Indian name of the valley meaning sparkling water. Sol Duc is the Spanish version meaning bright water. This is the Sol Duc valley. We soaked at the hot springs when we got back. 

It got to almost 40, was sunny with no wind. It was nice in the sun at our campsite, John spent the day smoking a pork loin and sitting in his lawn chair reading. I worked on a basket at the picnic table. I took my lunch out on the table and the camp robbers descended. They came right up to my plate while I was eating. We went to the hot springs before dinner while the roast was still smoking.