Moonlit Olympic

It's a rainy evening here at Olympic National Park. This vast landscape within Washington State is uniquely diverse in its offerings, stretching from Rocky Coast lines to wide open valleys, lush rainforests and stunningly high mountain peaks. Along the Olympic coast, waves crash against large rocky islands that jet out from the ocean's surface. In the grassy valleys, families of marmots gnaw on reeds and exposed roots enjoying the bounty of their natural habitat. In the mountains high above, thick sheets of white fog are draped across the rocky peaks. The air is still, quiet and welcoming. An invitation to pause, relax, and unwind. So as we settle in for the evening, let's deepen our state of relaxation with a short wind down exercise. Tonight's exercise is a really simple breathing exercise. So when you're ready, let's begin. So first, get yourself comfortable. Now, just bringing the attention to the breath, just noticing where you feel it in the nose, the throat, the chest, the diaphragm. You're nice and relaxed. We're going to be taking a deep breath in for four, holding it for four, and then breathing out for six. So are you ready? Let's begin, in for four, two, three, four. Hold it for four, two, three, four. Breathing out for six, two, three, four, five, six. In for four, two, three, four. Holding for four, two, three, four. Out for six, two, three, four, five, six. In for four, two, three, four. Holding for four, two, three, four. Out for six, two, three, four, five, six. In for four, two, three, four. Holding for four, two, three, four. Out for six, two, three, four, five, six. Great, now returning the breath to normal. The clouds cast their last shadows of the day as they move slowly over the snow capped Olympic Mountains. Set over 5,000 feet above sea level, the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center has a front row view to the landscapes that make Olympic National Park unlike any other place in the world. Although there are no hurricanes in the Pacific Northwest, the mountain ranges often experience winds above 80 miles per hour. Hiking conditions greatly depend upon the wind and snow that remain far beyond the winter months. Lucky for us, the snow around the visitor center has long thawed, leaving only the glacier capped mountains in the distance as a reminder of the winter climate. And just there, looming above it all, lies Mount Olympus. A peak suitable to house the gods. Reaching close to 8,000 feet above sea level, this icy treasure is the tallest mountain in Olympic National Park. (no audio) There are many ways to tell time in Olympic National Park. In antlers shed by Roosevelt elk every spring, in first salmon ceremonies performed by coastal tribes that have stewarded this land for millennia. And centuries reflected in the formation of the Olympic Mountains that were once under the sea. The climate tells its own story in each of these regions....