Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington – Part Two

2013.09.07

When we had first arrived at the visitor center, there was an Olympic Chipmunk (Tamias amoenus caurinus) nearby, but it was characteristically skittish.  This one just off the trail though was unperturbed as I crept closer with the camera.  Endemic to the Olympic Peninsula, they weigh less than a pound and frequent the subalpine zones.

Olympic Chipmunk (<em>Tamias amoenus caurinus</em>) at Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington
Olympic Chipmunk (<em>Tamias amoenus caurinus</em>) at Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington

Further on, I barely spotted a buck sitting in the meadow some distance away.  I quietly walked up a trail to get a better shot.  He kept an eye on me, but I wasn’t close enough to make him uncomfortable.

Columbian black-tailed deer (<em>Odocoileus hemionus columbianus</em>) buck at Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington
Columbian black-tailed deer (<em>Odocoileus hemionus columbianus</em>) buck at Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington

A couple minutes later back along the road, we saw more deer scattered around the lower meadows.  Then a doe and fawn came up to graze at the edge of the parkinglot.

Columbian black-tailed deer (<em>Odocoileus hemionus columbianus</em>) doe and fawn at Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington
Columbian black-tailed deer (<em>Odocoileus hemionus columbianus</em>) doe and fawn at Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington

We left Hurricane Ridge and made our way back down to Port Angeles, sinking right back into the fog along the way.

Fog on the way down from Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington
Fog on the way down from Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington