Magic Waters

Sol Duc River
Olympic National Park, Washington

Just as the translation seems to change with every article written as to what the Quillayute called this place, so does the spelling of the entire area. I guess I prefer the elegance of Sol Duc to the coarser "Sole Duck" that still even appears on signage there, and I prefer "magic waters" over "place of the sparkling waters", but that's just me. I'll use artistic license for my titles as well as my images, thank you. The river comes down the opposite side of the divide from the Hoh, through old growth forests of cedar and douglas fir and hemlock in excess of 200 years of age. Dead trees, giant ferns, moss everywhere and a thick canopy make for more shades of green than you thought existed. The river here plunges over a forty foot drop, and is impressive even in this low flow in early autumn. This view is less traditional (most come from the bridge above the falls). It is but a short trek from the trailhead--a 2 mile round trip--but there is so much to photograph on the way that you best hurry to get there before the crowds do ads it is a popular spot.

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Filename: Magic Waters.jpg
Image Size: 2048x1363 / 3.7MB; Sol Cuc Falls Olympic Penninsula Olympic National Park Washington WA rainforest forest landscape river Ray Palmer Ray Palmer Photography
Contained in galleries: West

Sol Duc River<br />
Olympic National Park, Washington<br />
<br />
Just as the translation seems to change with every article written as to what the Quillayute called this place, so does the spelling of the entire area. I guess I prefer the elegance of Sol Duc to the coarser "Sole Duck" that still even appears on signage there, and I prefer "magic waters" over "place of the sparkling waters", but that's just me. I'll use artistic license for my titles as well as my images, thank you. The river comes down the opposite side of the divide from the Hoh, through old growth forests of cedar and douglas fir and hemlock in excess of 200 years of age. Dead trees, giant ferns, moss everywhere and a thick canopy make for more shades of green than you thought existed. The river here plunges over a forty foot drop, and is impressive even in this low flow in early autumn. This view is less traditional (most come from the bridge above the falls). It is but a short trek from the trailhead--a 2 mile round trip--but there is so much to photograph on the way that you best hurry to get there before the crowds do ads it is a popular spot.