Water Walks

Sol Duc Falls

Well, of course, water doesn't walk.  It flows, erodes and quenches one's thirst.

"Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it." Lao Tzu

Mr. Tzu, the Chinese philosopher got that right!  Certainly Tim and I could not resist the watery allure of Crescent Lake or Sol Duc Falls in Olympic National Park.  So on two separate days we pulled on our hiking boots and went in search of water.

Sol Duc Hot Springs and Resort

Lovers' Lane, the trail to Sol Duc Fall, begins at the Sol Duc Hot Springs and Resort.  The imposing Sol Duc Hotel once stood at the site of the current hot springs resort.  Opened in 1912, the five-star hotel drew visitors from all over the world before it was destroyed by fire in 1920.  We planned a celebratory plunge into the mineral springs' soothing waters upon our return.  But first there was the trail through a lush rainforest landscape to explore.

I thought we'd found the Sol Duc Falls when we stumbled upon this waterfall, but other hikers told us that was still ahead.

But this was just the warm-up act for the main attraction.  And what a performance it was!  We could hear its roar way before it came into view.  

Sol Duc Falls

Split into three cascades, Sol Duc plummets 48 feet into a narrow, rocky channel.  

Its spray cooled our faces and dampened our clothes, a welcome respite for our sweaty bodies before we looped back to the resort.

Crescent Lake

Along Highway 101 midway between Forks and Port Angeles, Washington was the other watery draw, the aptly-named Crescent Lake shaped like a new moon.  

Its turquoise waters drew us to return to its shore for an easy hike along the Spruce Railroad Trail, named for the wood it hauled to mills to build the frames for World War I aircraft and subsequently for the next 40 years commercial logging interests.  

There we walked along the shore, 

through the McFee tunnel 

and up ledges cut from the rock before winding our way back to the parking lot.

So, there you have it!  Two watery walks that wowed us!