Nurse Logs and Hall of Mosses in the Hoh Rainforest

A couple of weeks back, I pitched a tent at my favorite place in Washington State: the Hoh rainforest. This magical place is located in Olympic National Park- tall trees with branches covered in moss and fungi growing on the trunks. While hiking the Spruce Trail and Hall of Mosses Trail, I photographed many nurse logs.

After huge trees are fallen, seedlings sprout on the logs because the ground is so densely covered. Throughout the years, with a little help from the yearly 140-170 inches of rainfall, they grow to be healthy trees.

When the seedlings are full grown, they take over the nurse log forming a colonnade 

and the trees fight with each other like siblings for space.

 

Walking through this area of the Hall of Mosses is like stepping into a real life fairy tale.

Nature is capable of many amazing things. We just have to pay attention.