The Pacific Northwest
Introduction
The Pacific Northwest is one of our favorite destinations. For us, it begins in the redwood groves of northern California, then extends upward along the rugged Oregon coastline and continues to the very tip of Washington before heading east for the Pudget Sound and Seattle. This area is greatly defined by the Cascade Mountain Range which dictate it's climate and geographical features. Beginning in northern California, the Cascades begin where the Sierra Nevadas end. These mountains are host to a number of volcanoes, some of which are dormant and some of which are still active. As witnesses to the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption can attest, this area is capable of devastating potential. Nestled amongst these mountains are thousands of lakes. And where there are mountains, there are streams and waterfalls. Nature is at it's best in the Cascades and will provide wildlife watchers with an endless list of opportunities. The coastline is filled with tidal areas. These pools provide haven for shellfish, starfish, and other marine life. At low tide these tidal pools reveal a colorful array of creatures to those who venture forth. The mountains hold Roosevelt Elk, which range from northern California to the tip of the Olympic Peninsula. Just north, in the Straits of San Juan de Fuca, Orcas frolic in the waters around the San Juan Islands while bald eagles can be found in many areas of Washington as they fish for salmon in the streams and inlets.
The Oregon coastline is rugged and studded with seamounts and other rock formations. These formations were extruded from the earth as the Pacific Plate passes under the North American Plate in a process called subduction. Although the plates are still moving this geographic process is slow and occurs in geographic time frames that span thousands of years so to mortal man it appears to be still. This same movement of the continental plates also causes hot magma from deep within the earth to rise close to it's surface, causing mountains like Mount Lassen and Mount St. Helens to erupt. Some of these mountains are now calm and dormant. Crater Lake (photo above) lies in the crater of a dormant volcano on Mount Mazama. This high altitude area averages over 500" of snowfall every year. On the coastal side, the Cascades form sort of a wall for the moist air coming off the Pacific Ocean. The cooler low altitude air stops at it's base, make this a very moist area. This moisture helps to grow the heavy vegetation on the coastal mountains and provides excellent habitat for larger trees. The Redwoods in the south give way to Douglas Fir in the north and the logging industry thrives here. By the same token these mountains also provide a rain shadow. The areas to the immediate east of the taller Cascades receives very little rain and the vegetation is almost desert-like, a complete contrast to the temperate rain forests of the northern coastline.
While Oregon is known for it's spectacular coastline, Washington makes up for it by featuring it's waters and mountains. The North Cascades National Park runs across the Cascades as it crosses the northern portion of the state. The Olympic Peninsula, on Washington's tip, is surrounded on three sides by water - the Pacific Ocean on the west, the Straits of San Juan on the north, and the Pudget Sound on the east. Olympic National Park occupies a large portion of this peninsula and you'll find temperate rain forests such as the Hoh Rain Forest contrasting with hot springs at Sol Duc Hot Springs, and the towering Mount Olympus as it's centerpiece. Surrounded by scenic and interesting communities it also is a jumping off point to explore the San Juan Islands and the three resident pods of Orcas in the surrounding waters. As the Pudget Sound heads back around to the south it flows into Seattle with it's unique culture and ethnic communities and colorful history.
I hope that these pictures will serve to give you an idea of some of what the Pacific Northwest has to offer so that you too will plan your own trip to experience these sites, and more, for yourself. As always, if you want to see larger images, simply click on any image to view a larger 1024x768 XGA size image.
Enjoy the journey!
Mark Quasius - "Cruzer"
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