Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Plants & Trees
The west and east sides of the Cascade Range are like day and night when it comes to
geographical differences. The wet and wild west side captures most rain clouds coming
in from the ocean, relieving them of their moisture and creating humid forests full of
green life jostling for space. Meanwhile, the dry, deserty east side - robbed of rains by
the tall Cascades - is mostly the stomping grounds for sagebrush and other semi-arid-
loving vegetation. However, there are still plenty of lush pockets here and there in this
region, especially along the foothills of several beautiful mountain ranges.
The adorable American pika is quickly becoming an endangered species. Pikas live
mostly in alpine environments, and these are being lost to climate change. For your
chance to spot one, keep your eyes peeled on Mt Rainier or at Crater Lake.
West of the Cascades
This region supports the most impressive gathering of conifers anywhere in the world,
with individual trees from six of the 30 or so species exceeding 500 years in age and
reaching heights of over 195ft and diameters of 6ft to 10ft. This lofty and grand forest is
not only home to many creatures but also the foundation for a vast logging economy that
props up countless small rural towns throughout the region.
The most ecologically and economically significant conifers are the Douglas fir, west-
ern hemlock and western red cedar, with Sitka spruce being dominant in the coastal fog
zone. Taken together, these four trees account for the majority of the forested landscapes
from ocean edge to high Cascades peak.
On the west side of the Olympic Peninsula and in other coastal areas where rainfall
may surpass 195in per year, these same trees reach incredible sizes and become engulfed
in thick carpets of bright-green moss. These are the world-famous temperate rain forests
of the Pacific Northwest.
Anyone hiking in these forests will soon come to recognize a common group of plants
that form the typical understory. Included in this group are densely clumped sword ferns
that cover entire hillsides, as well as taller thickets of small-leaved huckleberries bearing
heavy loads of delicious fruit. The state flower of Washington, the pink-flowered rhodo-
dendron, and the state flower of Oregon, the holly-leaved Oregon grape, are abundant in
these areas and add much color when in bloom.
 
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