The Puget Sound Basin>>               . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

To understand the Olympic Mountains, it's first necessary to learn how these magnificent mountains came into being. The Olympics form the western boundary of the Puget Sound Trough.

Let's begin with the last 50 to 60 million years or so. During the early Eocene period, the Puget basin was mostly an ocean, with just isolated volcanic islands on the western edge of the Puget Sound.

These volcanic islands were to become the Olympic Mountains as two terranes collided causing the land between the islands to literally be raised up, and pushed against itself like a deck of cards shoved against a wall. Slices of rock slid past each other under tremendous pressure, and the Olympic Mountains were formed.  

By the Pliocene age, or about 5.3 million years ago most of western Washington was above the sea. There was continued uplift of mountains which formed the Coastal Ranges, the Olympic Mountains and the Cascade Range to their present elevations. Cool temperate conifer forests prevailed.

The Pleistocene era about 2 million years ago found the Olympic Mountains cooled from their active volcano age, and alpine glaciers began forming on the highest peaks. 

Continental glaciation from Canada advanced into the Puget Sound trough between the Olympics and the Cascade to the east of the Sound.

The last age, or Holocene period, found the last intrustion of by sea water into the Puget Sound trough. Man followed the retreat of this ice, and so today's Puget Sound and the Hood Canal were created..

 
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The First arrivals>>                                       . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 Man arrived in the Puget Sound Basin around 10,000 b.p., and literally found a paradise.

The ridge and valley pattern of the Olympic Mountains on the east of the Trough and the Cascade Mountains to the west greatly influences all life in the Puget Sound region.

These two immense watersheds combined with the high mountain ridges form a vast entrapment of moist, temperate Pacific Ocean air over the Puget Sound region. Thus, life flourishes......................!

The runoff from the rivers, like the Skokomish River, from the central and east side of the Olympics pour into the Hood Canal. And life in the Hood then flourishes with this rich nutrient runoff.

The Olympic Mountains are also host to abundant wildlife of many species from mountain goats to the Olympic marmot. Black bear, Roosevelt elk and black-tailed deer also make the Olympics and our farm their home. During the year these species often migrate from one elevation to another in search of food.

You'll rarely see predators like the elusive cougar or bear and the more frequent coyote. River otters frequent the Skokomish rivers together with muskrats and beaver.

Below the rocky peaks, some exceeding elevations of 7,000+ feet, the mountains give way below the timberline to forested hillsides termed mid-montane forests. As you move still lower these forests of predominantly Pacific silver fir, up to 180 feet in height, give way to dense deciduous forests of alder and maple trees

You'll find magical wood sorrel resembling large shamrocks, chantrelle and morel mushrooms in the deep moss on the forest floor. You'll stand in awe at the towering canopy above you.

Our lush forests are very special.................  

The Mountains Today>>
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The Olympic Mountains today have a myriad of uses from day hiking to mountain climbing. There are still year-round snowfields at the higher elevations.

Our neighbor to the north is Green Diamond Resource Company, the former Simpson Timber Company who controls over 400,000 acres of timber on the Olympic Peninsula. Intermixed with their holdings is the U.S. Forest Service, which in turn, gives way to the Olympic National Park beginning about 13 miles north of Skokomish Farms.

The Park was established by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1938. In 1988 over 95% was designated as wilderness.

Much of its interior is accessible only by foot trail. The uniqueness of  Olympic National Park is found in its diversity from the western edge which dips sharply into the Pacific Ocean, to its spectacular alpine country, and then giving way to one of America's most temperate rain forests. The changes in this one National Park are truly amazing.

And Olympic National Park is literally at Skokomish Farms' backdoor....... 

To learn considerably more about Olmypic National Park visit www.olympic.national-park.com