Rainforest Coming to Life

Sunlight falling into rainforest near Alderbrook Resort & Spa

If you feel a part of something much larger than yourself when you’re at Alderbrook Resort and Spa, you’re not wrong. We’re in the middle of the largest temperate rainforest in the world; stretching over 2,500 miles from Northern California to Southern Alaska.

 

Working outside all day, every day, it has become very apparent to me that it is now the “rainy season.” And while many of us want to lock ourselves inside until we see the sun pop out next summer, I invite you to join me in experiencing the rainforest in all its glory.

 

Here are just a few things that make the Pacific Temperate Rainforest so special:

 

  • Epiphytes are plants (like ferns, mosses, and lichens) that grow on plants. How cool is that? A walk along the boardwalks of the Licorice Fern Trail is the perfect way to experience these phenomenal plants.
  • Really big trees are everywhere out here. The pacific temperate rainforest is home to the largest trees in the world. Tromp up the Big Tree Loop Trail to feel little amongst the giant Douglas Firs and Western Red Cedars.
  • Nurse logs and stumps. When a tree falls in the forest and nobody is there, does it make a sound? I don’t know, but I know that it will soon be the perfect habitat for new plants to grow on!
  • There’s no place on earth with more biomass, or total weight of alive and dead organisms. This is why you can feel totally turned around and lost in the thick brush of the Dogwood Ridge Trail.

 

I know that the rain can be a lot to deal with, but just remember... there’s a warm fire, world-class spa, and unbeatable food waiting for you down at the resort when your hike is over. Wet boots and dogs are always welcome, too.

 

Happy Hiking,

 

MS