Here are some pictures from yesterday's hike at the Upper Big Quilcene trail in the Olympics. The hike is 10.6 miles long with a 3500 foot elevation gain. The guide book says the climb is gentle but steady and I think that is a fair assessment. It was a beautiful walk through the woods along the Quilcene River then up, up, up to some very nice views of the surrounding mountains. The picture above is from shortly after we emerged from the woods. Right in the middle is the bear we saw munching away in the meadow. He saw us, but wasn't horribly concerned probably because we were so far away. Really, there's a bear in that picture. For the first time, I will be adding an invisible bear to the invisible marmot series.
The wildflowers were also blooming along the trail. Here is a wild orchid I spotted in the woods on the way up. Spotting wild orchids always makes me happy. I didn't notice the spider until I loaded the pictures today.
And, finally, here is a view of the Quilcene. It was running fast and loud because of the massive amounts of melting going on up in the mountain. All in all, a fabulous hike and a beautiful day to be out. I have several more pictures of the hike here if you are interested.
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