Olympic National Park has an amazing reputation, but mostly in the summer. This time of year, the park is really one big hazard zone, especially during and after a storm. The northwest was hit by what is called a bomb cyclone last week, and the area near the Quinault entrance had 3+ inches of water fall in one night. I happened to be visiting last Saturday and took the picture above: There was a 3-4 inch stream traversing the road in the distance, and right in front of me, there is another 1/3-1 inch of water running over the main road. This was before the big storms this week. When I entered the park the night before, it was dark and I did not see the water on the road. Luckily I was going the speed limit, roughly 25 mph, so did not lose traction. The water rose on either side of my truck probably 10 feet into the air from my tires. That could have been a disaster. Hydroplaning is a real risk in water like this, and sliding off the road, where large drops lead to ditches, ponds, and swamps, would certainly total your vehicle and leave you stranded far from any help. A number of folks have lost their brakes already this fall driving through this same water, and I was very cautious heading out the next morning.

The big danger in my book is the effect on the trees. Water weight and wind break branches and trees fall. I have only heard a tree snap in the forest a few times while hiking, and the sound is horrific. It scares you to the core. You don’t want to be hit by one of these giant pieces of wood, after gravity has sped it to the ground after a 100 feet of falling. This is pretty rare in the summer. In the late fall and winter, it happens all the time. Big storms can bring down huge numbers of trees, and this is not the time to be hiking around…

I met some folks vacationing from New York, going for a hike with their small child. It was a break in the weather at that time, so a less risky situation. My thoughts were more on the big picture: please be careful with your lives this time of year! Don’t risk and be prepared. Bring emergency gear, water, food, good rain gear, and a vehicle with all wheel drive or 4 wheel drive with at least a 6 inch clearance to navigate in all kinds of weather.

So nature presented me with a lesson: stay out during storms. Wait for some good weather and be careful, or just wait for spring and summer. There it is…