One of the reasons this location can boast ownership to Rainforests
is due to the area’s geography.
“Take a mild coastal climate, which rarely freezes in winter
or goes above 80 degrees in summer, add a good dose of rain say 12
feet or so a year, add some summer fog and you have the ingredients
for a temperate rain forest.”
http://www.youra.com/olympic/rainforest.html
The Olympic Mountains act as barriers to the flow of air coming off
the Pacific towards the Peninsula. While the air lifts the
mountains act to squeeze moisture out of the air. When a parcel of
warm air reaches a mountain range, it’s lifted up the
mountain cooling as it rises. This process is known as orographic
lifting and the cooling of the air often results in large clouds,
precipitation, and even thunderstorms.
(http://geography.about.com/od/physicalgeography/a/rainshadow.htm)
"The areas of depression between hills or mountains are known as
valleys." The Hoh River has carved out the Hoh Valley, and has
changed it's path a few times over the centuries. "A river in the
mountains or hills will usually have a deep and steep V-shaped
valley as the fast moving water cuts away at the rock as it flows
downhill. The Hoh River is fed even more water for this carving
process by the Blue and Hoh Glaciers. "The fast moving river picks
up pieces of rock and carries them downstream, breaking them into
smaller and smaller pieces of sediment. By carving and moving
rocks, running water changes the earth's surface even more than
catastrophic events such as earthquakes or volcanoes."
http://geography.about.com/od/physicalgeography/a/rivers.htm
“The Hoh River is about 56 miles long, it originates at Hoh
Glacier on Mount Olympus and flows west through the Olympic
Mountains and Olympic National Forest, then through the foothills
in a broad valley, emptying into the Pacific Ocean at the Hoh
Indian Reservation.
The Hoh's drainage basin is 299 square miles. Its discharge, or
streamflow has considerable seasonal variation, with summer
streamflow averaging about one-third that of winter flows.
"The Hoh is a glacial river fed by glaciers on Mount Olympus,
such as the Blue Glacier. The glaciers grind rock into a fine
glacial flour which turns the Hoh River a milky slate blue color.
The river valley is generally broad and relatively flat, causing
the glacial sediments to settle out, creating extensive gravel
bars, river meanders, and the many side channels characteristic of
a braided river."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoh_River
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant
extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a
canyon or gorge.
The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography
to characterize the form of valleys. Most valleys belong to one of
these two main types or a mixture of them, at least with respect of
the cross section of the slopes or hillsides.
River Valley
A valley in its broadest geographic sense is also known as a dale.
A valley through which a river runs may also be referred to as a
vale. A small, secluded, and often wooded valley is known as a dell
or in Scotland as a glen. A wide, flat valley through which a river
runs is known in Scotland as a strath. A small valley surrounded by
mountains is known as a hollow. A deep, narrow valley is known as a
coon (also spelled combe or coombe). Similar geological structures,
such as canyons, ravines, gorges, gullies, and kloofs, are not
usually referred to as valleys.
A valley formed by flowing water, or river valley, is usually
V-shaped. The exact shape will depend on the characteristics of the
stream flowing through it. Rivers with steep gradients, as in
mountain ranges, produce steep walls and a narrow bottom. Shallower
slopes may produce broader and gentler valleys, but in the lowest
stretch of a river, where it approaches its base level, it begins
to deposit sediment and the valley bottom becomes a
floodplain.
Glacial valleys
A valley carved by glaciers, or glacial valley, is normally
U-shaped. The valley becomes visible upon the recession of the
glacier that forms it. When the ice recedes or thaws, the valley
remains, often littered with small boulders that were transported
within the ice. Floor gradient does not affect the valley's shape,
it is the glacier's size that does. Continuously flowing glaciers
– especially in the ice age – and large-sized glaciers
carve wide, deep incised valleys.
Examples of U-shaped valleys are found in every mountainous region
that has experienced glaciation, usually during the Pleistocene ice
ages. Most present U-shaped valleys started as V-shaped before
glaciation. The glaciers carved it out wider and deeper,
simultaneously changing the shape. This proceeds through the
glacial erosion processes of glaciation and abrasion, which results
in large rocky material (glacial till) being carried in the
glacier. A material called boulder clay is deposited on the floor
of the valley. As the ice melts and retreats, the valley is left
with very steep sides and a wide, flat floor. A river or stream may
remain in the valley. This replaces the original stream or river
and is known as a misfit stream because it is smaller than one
would expect given the size of its valley."
During your hike around the river banks you will be able to see the
differences in the older and younger forests that are created due
to the river flooding or changing its course, which also creates a
diversity of aquatic habitats.
Several species of fallen trees Hemlock, Sitka Spruce, Fir, etc,
add to the habitats ever changing quality.
The Rain Forest is a mystical place where you have many photo
opportunities on and off the trail. But please be respectful of the
fauna and flora.
When I went to save these cords while at the location I seemed to
be in a dead spot and could not get satellites for accurate cords.
But we are asking that you try to do the loop trail which will take
you alongside the Hoh River.
To Log this Earthcache:
1. Hike the Hoh Rainforest Loop Trail until it comes along the Hoh
River.
2. From this spot you can view the Valley. From the reading above
and your observations at this spot, what kind of valley is the Hoh
Valley?
3. Under the River Valley paragraph above what other names could
you describe the Hoh Valley as?
4. What is an observation as to erosion still taking place and
further digging and changing the Hoh Valley?
5. While hiking what is an observation you see that shows the river
changing the Hoh Valley?