The Visit: Wednesday the Hoh Rainforest

(Company this week. We did the headline tour of the north and west Olympic Peninsula.)

Perfect sunny weather in the forest. We took two of the trail loops from the Visitor Center, Spruce Nature Trail (which loops out to the river) and the Hall of Mosses.

In the Hoh Rainforest. Spruce Trail. (These photos are J.K.'s)

The rangers say it is not certain why the mosses prefer the bigleaf maples. Perhaps something about the configuration of the bark suits them better ("PH and porosity," says one of the rangers. "I was just reading about it.") Perhaps, they agree when I hold my arms out and pose as a maple standing there in the crowded Visitor's Center, perhaps also the more horizontal habit of the maple limbs makes it easier to establish there...

In the Hoh Rainforest. Hall of Mosses. (This photo by mb.)