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They Might Be Giants

Carbon River Rainforest, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

 

My hike to the lake last weekend went through a magnificent (and unusual) old growth rainforest. It is unusual because it is an inland temperate rainforest rather than the typical coastal one. During the warm and dry summer months the Carbon River creates its own fog which allows the rainforest to breathe and sustain itself even without rain. A very unique ecosystem!

 

The trees in this rainforest, mostly Douglas Fir, Western Hemlock, Sitka Spruce, and Western Red Cedar, are impressive. Some of them are as much as 800 years old and reach incredible heights. My neck started to get sore from spending so much time looking up at them and marveling at their stature!

 

Since I discovered when I got home that I had almost 100 photos of trees and the forest I selected just a few to post here to try give a sense of this wondrous place.

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Uploaded on June 23, 2021