Looking over a section of wild river flowing an irreverent blue bound by a gloriously messy green-yellow mix of ferns and mosses, all under towering ancient trees, I squinted through waves of rain in near disbelief at its beauty. Later as I drove down the river, leaving Olympic National Park, the landscape abruptly changed from wild forest to clear cuts and tree farms. The extreme juxtaposition shocked me. Continuing down the valley, signs in neighboring communities read “Stop the Wild Olympics,” and I realized I had much to learn. What, I wondered, makes this peninsula, which author Tim McNulty describes as a veritable island of rivers, so special, and why would anyone want to “stop” it from being wild?
I always try learning about the places I visit, though I…
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Kayak Session (Digital) - 1 Issue, Summer 2021