Day 6 (July 17, 2014)

                                                       As told my Miranda Knight-Miles

It's been barely over a week since we have returned from Olympic National Park, and it has been unbelievably harder to readjust to the "real world" in Seattle than I thought it would. I recommend nature walks on the regular to help people readjust.

Here's to Day 6, where this fantastic group of individuals walked nearly 7 miles and 3000 feet in elevation changes. *I started the day out with an asthma attack roughly 5 minutes from the head of the trail, but after pushing through that, the day was a challenging but rewarding day.

We started at Dose Meadows, a massive field of flourishing flora at 4500ft. Dose Meadows is where the mass of our wildlife viewing was. We encountered a doe, a buck, a bear, and even witnessed marmots wrestling! We then continued to Lost Pass at 5550 ft. See pictures below- this area recently has the rest of the snow melt, resulting in a mass blooming of the Avalanche Lilies featured below.

After fertilization, the petals shrivel and turn from white to pink!

I took a few minutes upon our arrival to draw a picture of the scenery! Featured: --->

Real picture of the view is the picture below.

After Lost Pass, we went over Cameron Pass, hiking up to 6500 feet. We all took a lunch break with a great view. We also played a game of ninja, which I highly suggest simply because it is fun!

Cameron Pass ~~v

 Mt. McCartney Puddle. On the way we came across a patch of snow that had fresh bear tracks- the bear was using the snow to roll around in and cool down! We then later saw the bear- Tim identified the wet butt to confirm.

Climbing towards the pass, which is way up to the right in the rock fields. Mt. Rainier became visible behind us, and Mt. Olympus became visible in front of us as we climbed back into the alpine zone.

Mt. Olympus and its massive glaciers shimmering in the distance.

Approaching the pass through a rock garden of alpine flowers clinging low to the hillside in mixed species clumps where species seem to facilitate each others' growth. At this elevation plants invest more energy in roots, and less in the above ground biomass, not to mention that plant too tall would quickly become vulnerable to the destructive and dessicating effects of the wind. The leeward side of the pass is steep and contains massive snowfields, remnants of a glacier that filled the basin in the last 200 years. The lower Cameron valley also contains a remnant population of Engelmann spruce that rode out the last ice age in a refugium there.

The group at the pass, amongst rock and alpine flowers.

After Cameron Pass, we began an off trail traverse for 3 miles towards a little dot of water below Mt. McCartney that we tagged with the name

Sunset from the "McCartney puddle".

A rare yellow Orobanche, a cholorphyll-less root parasite.

Very fresh bear tracks. Note the disturbed snow in the background. This bear was rolling in the snow to cool off and escape the bugs, before we likely scared it. It sprinted off towards the direction of the viewer in this photo. We would see this very bear a few minutes later, wet fur and all.

Setting out across trail-less terrain from Cameron Pass.

Off-trail from Cameron Pass. A massive avalanche which destroyed the Grand Pass trail led us to choose a more creative route to the Grand Valley via the Lillian Valley.

Traversing the meadows from Cameron Pass.

Striking out across meadows, the land of marmots and bears, with Mt. Olympus in the background.

Walking along the top of a hardened snow drift from last winter.

A strange snow formation along our off trail traverse. note the darker snow below--that is last year's snow that never melted last year. This past winter's snow is on top (and is cleaner).

Miranda pausing on some newly formed "patterned ground" or "rock stripes" formed by the freeze-thaw cycle in the gravel in this cold (and recently snow covered) area.

Reflections on the "McCartney puddle", where we stopped for the night after an arduous afternoon of forging a path across steep meadows and rock fields.

We spent the night recollecting ourselves, we had no discussion as it was nearly 9 by the time we settled into camp and finished dinner. We simply discussed how we were doing and the daunting tasks for the next day, and spent some time stargazing and sharing stories.

Tim also informed us that we were off itinerary, off trail [due to the unexpected winter avalanche destruction of the Grand Pass Trail], and 18 miles from civilization.

Let that sink in.

Tim also asked each of us students to think about what exactly what experience nature and wild landscapes means to us. To that, here is my response.

Nature, to me, is what surrounds us and is our own perception of these surroundings. It is one thing to see nature, but seeing nature is not nature in full. True nature, as well as wild or wilderness, must be felt. True nature can be determined by the emotions that follow the view, for you cannot feel the sadness of the city whilst looking over mountain ridges into valleys containing meadows, forests, and a plethora of flourishing flora and fauna. Nature, in itself, is where man goes to feel like Self, be it in the forest, over the sea, or amongst the snowy mountain tops. Even in the city, a wildness can be found, but nature and wilderness are harder to see through the smog and noise pollution of the city. Wildness is everywhere we look and wish to see it; the planted tree outside our window, the determined plants that peak their head and bodies through cracked cement and roadways, and the city animals who live off of street food. These are all wild, but unless seen as such, they disappear into the rest of the city and the surrounding bleakness that can follow unless perceived through a light in the mind's eye. While it can be easy to pick out wildness, it does not give the full appreciation for nature. Nature entails an experience in which sight and raw emotion flow into the mind, and these feelings overcome any city-sorrow or questioning of self. In nature, one does not worry about the external self, but instead allows the inner self to be, and in being, one knows that the internal flame is a connective energy to the nature that surrounds you.  

UPDATE







It’s been a month since I’ve left the mountains and valleys of Olympic National Park, and still not one day has passed that I do not reminisce of the peaks reaching for the heavens, of the depths of color splattered along the hillside, or of the piercing glow that came from the abundance of stars lurking outside our solar system. My life has been rather hectic, and in the midst of the chaos I have discovered the true reason for my sadness of leaving a place I call home; I realize that I deeply miss the breathtaking views or the enticing colors or crisp, fresh air, but what I truly miss most is the wilderness. As described in my earlier post, nature can be found anyone one looks for it- and boy have I been looking for it! Thankfully, I came back to a flourishing garden and a city with an abundance of green space, but I noticed that even as I sit in a garden or a park to get my fix of nature, I still have a deep longing for that particular bit of land known as Olympic National Park. I believe it is the isolation I miss the most, the idea of getting to be truly alone in the vastness of non-human life is so enticing to me now, I have felt nothing so empowering over my emotions. I find myself staring into pictures of forests for minutes, getting myself lost behind layers of trees, dreamily imagining myself hidden in the chaotic calm of wilderness at work. Others cannot understand the feelings that wash over me as I reminisce inside my mind over the vastness and loving solitude that followed me into the park. I understand now why so many argue over definitions behind nature, wilderness and wildness; it all lies in the emotions the individual holds behind those words, in the experiences they have had with each on its own. Nature, to me, is something that can be found anywhere, it is simply life and its beauty and energy, but wilderness entails a sense of isolation, a welcoming lack of your species and instead a profusion of biodiversity and properly function ecological systems. Wilderness describes the areas that man does not feel in charge, a place where they instead feel at one, or possible scared, of the surrounding land. It is a place where vulnerability is more common than the ability to dominate, a place that reminds man of a past that was not filled with constant comforts or grossly easy accessibility, but instead of a time when effort was to be exerted to receive the benefits. Maybe only some people care about wilderness because of this reason, because of the appreciation for work with an environmentally beneficial outcome. There is a possibility that those who do not like the wilderness also enjoy and become rather engrossed in the accessibility of modern life, we have all encountered those who only eat ready meals- the ones that require minimal preparation and time and usually consist of food-products instead of food from the source. If that is what separates me from the rest of the population- this inner need and longing for wilderness- then I'm okay having it always linger in the back of my mind, because it makes me feel all that closer to the world around me, and always keeps my mind thinking about any environmental impacts I can have. I miss the wilderness woven into nature, and now I feel adamant about  encouraging its conservation.

-Miranda Knight-Miles