OLYMPIC Marymere Fall Nature Trail

" . . . it was the Indian's way to pass through a country without disturbing anything; to pass and leave no trace, like a fish through the water or birds through the air."

—WILLA CATHER

MARYMERE FALLS NATURE TRAIL
(Round Trip — 1-1/2 Miles)

Welcome to Marymere Falls Nature Trail. This booklet has been prepared by the staff of Olympic National Park to help you enjoy and perhaps gain a deeper understanding of the forest that you are about to enter. Each lettered stake you encounter along the trail corresponds to a paragraph in this guidebook. For quick use, read only the part of the paragraph flush with the left-hand margin. However, we urge those of you who have the time, to read in addition the indented material following each lead paragraph. Here we have tried to probe a little deeper into the story this forest has to tell — to look a little more closely at the conditions that give us a forest of this type, and to perhaps discover how this forest came to be and what changes it may yet go through.

At the stations where directions are given, face the stake for the correct orientation. The numbered stakes along the trail correspond to the names and descriptions of plants listed in the back of the book.

A. What Makes A Forest? Trees, certainly — but more too. Count the types of plants that you see along the trail. There are shrubs, ferns, herbs (small, leafy plants), fungi, and mosses. Even bacteria, living in the soil and in dead organic material, are part of the forest. A forest, then, is a community of many different plants (and animals too).

Botanists use the term COMMUNITY to refer to a definite aggregation of plants occurring in a definite place at a particular time. The composition of this and all natural communities is not haphazard, but is determined by such conditions as climate, soil, and topography, the collective term for which is environment. In fact, environment is so important that in many cases, a knowledge of it alone is enough to accurately predict the composition of the vegetation in a particular area. The influence of the Pacific Ocean here gives us moderate temperatures and abundant moisture, the two most important factors in determining which plants will grow here.

B. Several Different Kinds of Trees make up this forest. The most abundant is western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) which you see just behind the marker. The gray cast of the bark and the shallow furrows are an easy help to identification. Hemlocks can be told from a distance by their nodding tips. Throughout much of the coastal portion of the Pacific Northwest, temperature and rainfall are ideal for this tree.

Western hemlock seeds germinate well in the deep organic debris of the cool, densely shaded forest floor. Thus you will see as you walk along the trail that most of the tree seedlings here are of this kind. Note the variable length of the needles of the seedling just to your right. Because western hemlock is well adapted to cool, moist environments, we usually find that it becomes established in an area only after other plants have created the conditions of shade and moist soil which hemlock requires. This is why a natural community can and does change. For example, if a fire destroys the vegetation, the first plants to appear after the fire will be those that can grow in soil some what warmed and dried out by the direct sunlight. These pioneers then modify the conditions by creating shade and contributing dead leaves and branches to the soil. The changed environment makes it possible for other plants to establish themselves, often crowding out the original pioneers. This process is called PLANT SUCCESSION, and it may continue through the coming and going of many different communities until finally one group of plants which can best perpetuate itself becomes established. This group is called the CLIMAX community.

Western hemlock—Douglas fir forests are common over wide areas in Western Washington.

C. The King of the Northwest Trees and the foundation of the great logging industry of the Pacific Northwest is the Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii). The deeply furrowed, reddish-brown bark on the tree you are facing here is characteristic of this tree.

Douglas-firs in this area are gradually replaced by the shade-tolerant western hemlocks, and to a lesser extent by the western redcedar. Look around you now and note the large size of the Douglas-firs, like the one in front of you and ones off to your right. The western hemlocks are smaller but are much more abundant. This gives us our clue to the future of this community. As the older firs succumb to insect attacks or windstorms, their place in the forest will be taken over by the young hemlocks. Because these trees, unlike the Douglas-firs, can reproduce under existing conditions, the community will be able to perpetuate itself. It will then be in the climax stage, for in this area no other tree will replace western hemlock.

D. Fire passing through here left the blackened base of the Douglas-fir off the trail to the right. The thick bark of mature Douglas-firs is a good protection against ground fires, but western hemlock, with its thinner bark, is more vulnerable.

When fire sweeps through a forest in this region, Douglas-fir is often among the first trees to appear again. The seeds, buried in the soil or carried in by the wind, germinate well in the sun-warmed mineral soil of a "burn", and the seedlings have ample sunlight to develop. In time, a dense stand of Douglas-fir will cover the area. But the Douglas-fir forest, as we have seen, cannot reproduce effectively in its own dense stands. It is, therefore, only a stage in the plant succession, and it will eventually be replaced by the climax stage. These stages are called SERES, and the Douglas-fir in this area is a seral tree, although in certain places, such as parts of the Rocky Mountain region, it is the climax form.

E. Competition Among Seedlings. Notice the dense growth of seedlings on either side of the trail ahead of you. These young trees must compete with each other and with the shrubs and other smaller plants for space, light, water, and nutrients. Many will die before they reach maturity — only the hardiest can survive.

Most of these seedlings are western hemlocks, again pointing out to us the inherent advantage this tree has under present conditions. However, other species (even Douglas-fir) are not entirely excluded. See if you can pick out the seedling of grand fir (Abies grandis) on the left side of the trail ahead. Its needles are arranged in two neat rows on the twig, and its foliage is darker than that of the hemlocks. Even though other tree seedlings do occur here, the important thing is that the hemlocks are relatively much more abundant.

F. Two Common Shrubs of this forest can be seen here. On the left is salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis), with its smooth, golden bark and scattered spines. Salal (Gaultheria shallon), the most common shrub in this type of forest, is on the right. It varies in height from a low, sparse growth to an impenetrable tangle 10 feet or more in height. Note the dark green, thick, leathery leaves.

In the forest community the different species form layers of vegetation which intergrade with each other. The topmost layer, or canopy, is formed by the crowns of trees. Shrubs and tree seedlings make another distinct layer, while still lower the ferns and herbs form a layer which intergrades somewhat with the shrubs. The almost solid carpet of mosses on the forest floor is the lowest, or ground layer. This is a good example of how the different plant species in a natural community utilize all the available space. Just as nature abhors a vacuum, she also abhors a vacancy in a natural community!

G. Life and Death, growth and decay are often found in close association in nature. Here, for example, you see a variety of green plants growing vigorously on the rotting remains of a tree that fell more than a century ago. The western hemlock growing on it is over 100 years old.

Green plants fashion complex substances (carbohydrates, proteins, etc.) from simple substances (carbon dioxide, water, and minerals). This produces growth. Bacteria and fungi change the complex substances back to simple ones. This is decay. In the process of decay, nutrients are returned to the soil to be used another time by other plants. Sometimes the cycle is briefly interrupted when an animal, such as a deer, consumes part or all of a plant. But sooner or later, the nutrients removed by the deer are returned to the earth (perhaps not until after the deer itself is eaten by a predator!). Because nitrogen compounds are the most important materials in this cycle, it is often called the nitrogen cycle. Severe fires and the widespread erosion which usually follows them permanently remove large amounts of plant nutrients from the land.

Columbia black-tailed deer are common residents of the northwest forests.

H. Animals Are Part of the Forest Community. You may have seen the reddish-brown Douglas squirrels, or the smaller chipmunks, that live in this forest. Listen! There are birds here too, but you are more likely to hear them than see them. They help to keep the forest healthy by feeding on insects that could otherwise become so numerous as to upset the balance and cause destruction. Dead snags, like the two at the left, become the homes of many insects and grubs. Notice the holes left by woodpeckers in their business of digging out the insect residents.

Most animal members of the community are seldom seen. We know they are here by the clues, or sign, that they leave behind. Tracks along a stream bank may tell us that a mink, a weasel, or a cougar passed by. Gnawed stumps and dams, made of tree limbs and mud, will tell us that a beaver resides nearby. Although often we can't see any signs of them, soil dwelling insects and worms are present in great numbers, and they, along with burrowing animals such as the mole, help to keep the soil loose and well mixed. Even the microscopic, one-celled animals do their part for the community by feeding on dead organic matter, thus helping to keep the nutrient cycle going. The extremely complex way in which the lives of the members of a natural community are interwoven is a fascinating aspect of the natural world.

I. Nature is Not in a Hurry! This Douglas-fir (the largest you will see along the nature trail) is 10 feet in diameter and approximately 800 years old. Ponder a moment over the events that this great tree must have lived through — fire, the fury of countless winter storms, and the relentless attacks of insects and fungi. Its broken top probably means it is now close to the end of its life.

The tempo of plant succession varies greatly. Often the first plants which invade a bare area are replaced in a year, but succeeding communities last longer and longer. In this forest, Douglas-fir, the stage just before the climax, persists for centuries before it finally disappears completely.

Predators, such as this mountain lion, help to maintain balance among wildlife. All wild animals are given equal protection in our National Parks.

J. The Mt. Storm King Trail is about 1-3/4 miles in length. It is steep in many places, but you can climb without trouble to a point marked "dangerous beyond this sign". At intervals, you will be rewarded for your efforts by splendid views of Barnes Creek Valley, Aurora Ridge, almost the entire length of Lake Crescent, Pyramid Peak directly across the lake, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Vancouver Island, and the San Juan Islands. There is no water along this trail — take a drink from the creek before you leave.

K. Bare Rock Also Provides a Home for Plants. This large boulder probably tumbled down from the slopes of Mt. Storm King above you. Lichens (primitive plants formed by a partnership between algae and fungi) established themselves upon it. In this partnership, the alga, which like other green plants can manufacture its own food, provides the nourishment, while the fungus absorbs water and minerals from the wet rock and provides an anchorage. The white blotches on the face of the rock are one type of lichen.

This unique partnership, a form of SYMBIOSIS, can exist under the most difficult conditions, therefore it is usually the first plant invader of bare rock. The lichens open up small cracks and crevices in the rock, and this enables mosses to become established. Mosses in turn help to decompose the rock further, resulting in the first appearance of soil. When the cover of mosses, lichens, and soil builds up to a point where it can hold enough moisture, then herbs, ferns, and small trees move in. The boulder at which you are looking gives an excellent picture of these early stages of plant succession. Note the trees growing on top.

L. Why is the Plant Life Along a Stream Different? The tall shrubs here are salmonberry, and the white-barked, moss-covered trees are red alder (Alnus rubra). They predominate here along Barnes Creek because the stream has changed the environment. The soil is wetter and there is more sunlight along the banks.

We often find that differences in soil, topography, and even kinds and numbers of animals, will permit entirely different types of plant cover to become established. Red alder is better adapted to live along stream banks here than most other forest trees, consequently it is more abundant and forms a more-or-less distinct community. In the broad valleys of the rain forests, it forms extensive, almost pure stands (called alder flats) along the edges of the rivers.

M. In Many Places the Lower Level of the forest is filled with vine maple (Acer circinatum). It gets its name from its habit of sprawling on the ground — a dense growth of it is very difficult to penetrate. Vine maple compensates for its small stature with beauty. Where sunlight pours through holes in the forest canopy it may be caught by the vine maple and transformed into a million stars of twinkling and diffused green. Along forest borders and in openings, vine maple gives the Northwest its most gorgeous autumn colors.

On the eastern side of the Olympic Mountains, vine maple is not abundant. Travelling westward across the Peninsula you will encounter it more and more — in the rain forests of the western Olympics it is one of the most common understory plants. The increase in numbers of this tree from east to west is in response to the greater moisture of the lands nearer the ocean. Here in the vicinity of Lake Crescent, vine maple first begins to appear as a prominent member of the forest community.

N. Tree Rings are formed by the addition of a new layer of wood each year. During the spring and early summer, when growth is fast, the soft, lighter-colored part of the ring is formed. As the summer goes on, the hard, darker layer is formed. These two layers together make an annual ring.

Because trees grow in height as well as diameter, counting the rings high up on the trunk tells only how many years have passed since the tree reached that height. This western hemlock was about 250 years old at the point where cut. By examining the tree you will see that the center rings are wider than the outer ones. This is because trees grow faster when they are young. Age slows them down, but they never completely stop growing.

In localities where there have been wide differences in growing conditions from time to time, a study of tree rings can be used to determine climatic conditions of the past. A series of wide rings would indicate abundant moisture for the corresponding years, while narrow rings would indicate the opposite.

O. There Is No Finer Hardwood Tree in the Northwest than the bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum). Its sturdy trunk, its height, and its large leaves that may measure a foot across, distinguish it from the vine maple. It is common in moist bottom lands, but in the dense forest it exists only as a scattered understory tree. Notice the abundance of mosses growing on the trunk and limbs of this maple. While mosses occur on most of the trees in this region, bigleaf maple appears to be more hospitable to them and consequently has the most dense moss cover of all the Northwest trees.

Mosses and other plants which grow on another living plant are collectively called epiphytes, which means UPON A PLANT. Most epiphytes do not rob the plants on which they grow, but instead manufacture their own food and obtain moisture and minerals from rain and debris which collects on the bark of the "host" tree. The presence of epiphytes is a good example of nature's tendency to fill all available space in a natural community. The abundant rainfall and moist air in this region make it possible for the mosses and licorice ferns you see on this tree to obtain sufficient water to grow, therefore we can say that the space on the tree trunks becomes "available" for moss growth. In drier areas epiphytes cannot survive, and of course in deserts not even trees can grow.

Ferns of many varieties grow well in the moist forests of the Pacific Northwest. This is sword fern, the most common kind here.

P. Loose, Stringy Bark and Scale-like Leaves identify the western redcedar (Thuja plicata). This tree, like the red alder, also favors stream valleys, although it is found scattered throughout the forest too. This is the tree which was used by the coastal Indians to build their large, ocean-going canoes.

Western redcedar thrives on soils with a higher moisture content than other conifers can tolerate. Thus, throughout the Northwestern forests, we find it abundant in moist habitats at elevations comparable to this. It is one of the most common forest trees in the wetter areas bordering the ocean. On the Olympic Peninsula the western redcedar is replaced at higher elevations by the Alaska yellow cedar.

Q. A Very Specialized Type of Community is represented here by Barnes Creek, a typical example of a mountain stream. The creek has its own group of plants and animals, just as does the terrain through which you have passed. Important seasonal members of the Barnes Creek community are the large trout which ascend the creek from Lake Crescent to spawn in the spring. These fish deposit their eggs in shallow depressions (called redds) which they scoop out in the gravel bed. After hatching, the young fish (fry) spend some time in the stream and then descend to the lake. There are also other residents of this creek which spend only their youth here — frogs, salamanders, and many insects are members of this group.

Although Barnes Creek is a separate community, it is nevertheless interrelated in many ways with the forest around it. The vegetation of the forest, by adding debris to the forest floor and keeping the soil loose and pliable, aids in holding the water back after rains. This water, plus that from melting snows, is slowly released (often coming to the surface in springs and seeps), and thus Barnes Creek is assured of a steady supply of clear water the year around. In its own way, the creek contributes to the forest community.

By cutting and flooding the valley in which it flows, it provides suitable growing sites for the red alders, western redcedars, and bigleaf maples. Soil, which it carries down from the upper levels, is added to that of the lower levels. Several forest animals obtain their water and part of their food from the stream, and conversely many fish in the stream feed extensively on forest insects which fall or alight on the surface of the water.

Nature's engineer, the beaver, is the only logger permitted to operate in the National Parks.

R. Plant Cover Is Often Sparser on Slopes than on valley floors. The reason for this is less water and thinner soil, because on a steep slope water runs off rapidly, carrying soil with it. The ground cover here consists of a sparse growth of moss, a few sword ferns, and salal shrubs. Nearly all the other plants you saw on the valley floor are absent.

In drier regions, the direction that a slope faces has a profound effect on the plant cover. South-facing slopes are warmer and drier because the sun's rays strike them at a more direct angle. The effect is the opposite on a north slope, therefore, entirely different plant communities can often be found on opposite slopes of the same ridge. This effect is not readily apparent on the Olympic Peninsula because even on south-facing slopes moisture is not a critical factor here.

S. Marymere Falls was formed because Fall's Creek cut through resistant rock on the surface to an underlying, weak rock formation. The creek then eroded the weak rock at a faster rate than the resistant rock, and this has formed the 90 feet high waterfall.

* * * * * * * * *

This is the end of the Marymere Falls Nature Trail. The forest through which you have passed is a part of one of America's finest remaining wildernesses, the 1400 square mile Olympic National Park. If you were to walk beyond the end of this trail, you would travel through a wild and lonely land, across canyons, over mountain peaks and glaciers, along the edges of alpine lakes, and over rivers. There are nearly 600 miles of trail crisscrossing the Park. Take one of these trails into the back-country . . . spend a day or two there, or a week.

If you have enjoyed this hike, you will also enjoy the Rain Forest Nature Trail near the Hoh Visitor Center, and the Alpine Wildflower Nature Trail and the Big Meadow Nature Trail, both on Hurricane Ridge.

THE NUMBERS ON THE SMALL MARKERS CORRESPOND TO THE NUMBERS IN THE FOLLOWING LIST OF PLANTS

LILY FAMILY

1. Fat Solomon-Plume (Smilacina amplexicaulis). This large, attractive plant has a large pyramidal cluster of small, whitish flowers. The berries are red and edible, but rather tasteless.

2. Claspleaf Twistedstalk (Streptopus amplexifolius). You can tell twistedstalk by the twist in the thread like flower (or berry) stems. The alternate leaves clasp the stem.

3. Canada Beadruby (Maianthemum canadense). It is also called "wild lily-of-the-valley." Each stem has one or two waxy, heart-shaped leaves. A spike of small, white flowers rises above the leaves. The berries are at first mottled with brown, but change to ruby beads when ripe.

4. Pacific Trillium (Trillium ovatum). Three leaves in a whorl are supported at the top of a stout stem. In April or May, a pure white lilylike flower appears that changes to pink or purple as it ages.

ORCHID FAMILY

5. Rattlesnake Plantain (Goodyera oblongifolia). Its evergreen leaves are veined and blotched with white.

BIRTHWORT FAMILY

6. British Columbia Wildginger (Asarum caudatum). You will find this plant in the dim light beneath the densest forest canopy and near water. The wildginger grows close to the ground. Its heart-shaped leaves are green above and reddish beneath. Its dark red flowers are often covered by leaves or other forest litter.

PURSLANE FAMILY

7. Indian Lettuce (Montia sibirica). This tender little "salad" plant has spatulate leaves arising from the base and two opposite leaves on the stem.

BUTTERCUP FAMILY

8. Western Baneberry (Actaea arguta). The small, round-topped clusters of white flowers are followed in mid-summer by the shiny scarlet berries. The berries are poisonous.

BARBERRY FAMILY

9. Oregongrape (Mahonia aquifolium). This evergreen shrub has leaves composed of 5 to 11 leaflets. The leaflets are stiff, shiny and have wavy, and spiny toothed edges. The veins are pinnate.

10. Cascades Mahonia (Mahonia nervosa). It can be distinguished from Oregon Grape by the 11 to 21 leaflets per leaf which are dull instead of shiny.

11. Deerfoot Vanillaleaf (Achlys triphylla). After death of the plant, the leaves have the fragrance of vanilla which accounts for another name, "Sweet-after-death." It has a single, fairly large leaf of three segments at the top of a slender stem.

SAXIFRAGE FAMILY

12. Trefoil Foamflower (Tiarella trifoliata). This plant has several long-stemmed leaves growing from the base and one growing from the slender stem. Each leaf has three leaflets, Notice the thread-like petals of the delicate white flowers.

ROSE FAMILY

13. Sylvan Goatsbeard (Aruncus sylvester). This tall plant of the cool, rich woods is widely distributed all over the world. It is not a shrub, as it dies down to the ground each year. Its tiny, white flowers are arranged to form open panicles composed of slender pencils.

14. Western Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus). It is a slender shrub with maplelike leaves, conspicuous white flowers, and bright red edible but insipid raspberry-like fruits.

15. Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis), This common shrub of the coastal forests prefers moist bottomlands. Its flowers are reddish purple, its fruits red to amber, its stems light brown and satiny.

EVENING PRIMROSE FAMILY

16. Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium). This tall plant, with willowlike foliage, has worldwide distribution. In the Northwest, it is generally abundant following logging and fires. Its name is due to the fact that it springs up quickly on burned areas.

DOGWOOD FAMILY

17. Western Dogwood (Cornus occidentalis), It is a small tree or shrub with characteristic dogwood leaf that is covered underneath with fine white hairs.

HEATH FAMILY

18. Indian pipe (Monotropa uniflora). One writer described it: "A drooping flower molded from pure white wax." It is a saprophyte living on decaying vegetation.

19. Woodland Pinedrops (Pterospora andromedea). This slender, tall, reddish-purple plant is a saprophyte.

20. Common Pipsissewa (Chimaphila umbellata). Also called Prince's Pine, this is one of the Northwest's many evergreen plants. Its shiny, leathery, sharply toothed leaves form a loose cluster around the stem. Pink to white waxy flowers appear in May and June.

21. Red Whortleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium). It is also known as Red Huckleberry. This shrub with green twigs and red berries prefers edges of forest openings, although it grows in shady places.

PRIMROSE FAMILY

22. Western Starflower (Trientalis latifolia). It is a small, delicate plant bearing a whorl of thin leaves at the top of a slender stem. One to four white or pinkish star-shaped flowers grow on thin stems from the center of the leaf whorl.

WATERLEAF FAMILY

23. Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum tenuipes). It prefers shade and rich river bottom soil. This soft, fuzzy plant has delicate lavender flowers with protruding stamens and pistils.

MINT FAMILY

24. Common Selfheal (Prunella vulgaris). As is characteristic of members of the mint family, this blue-flowered plant has a square stem.

MADDER FAMILY

25. Bedstraw (Galium species). The bed straws have weak, four-angled stems that often cling to other plants and to your clothing by means of hooked hairs or bristles on the angles of the stems.

HONEYSUCKLE FAMILY

26. Pacific Red Elder (Sambucus callicarpa). This shrub with its stout, spreading stems, has opposite leaves. Each leaf consists of 5 to 7 toothed, sharp-pointed leaflets.

27. Twinflower (Linnaea borealis). The drooping, fragrant flowers of this low evergreen vine are borne in pairs. Notice that the leaves are opposite and finely toothed.

COMPOSITE FAMILY

28. American Adenocaulon (Adenocaulon bicolor). Notice the contrast between the deep green upper and the silver lower surface of the leaves. Another common name for it is "Silver-green." The name "Pathfinder" is also used because of the path left by a person walking through patches of this plant.

29. Western Coltsfoot (Petasites palmatus). Coltsfoot is one of the earliest of spring flowers. It is familiar in moist woods, along streams and moist road banks. It has large, broad leaves that are deeply cleft into 7 to 9 lobes.

30. Indian Thistle (Circium edule). This tall thistle is also called Edible Thistle. Its fleshy root was used as food by some Western Indians, but apparently not by Indians of Western Washington.

We hope that this nature trail has helped you to understand and enjoy Olympic National Park. Your suggestions as to how this trail and its guide booklet may be improved will be appreciated.

This booklet is produced by the

OLYMPIC NATURAL HISTORY ASSOCIATION, INC.
OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK
PORT ANGELES, WASHINGTON

A non-profit organization cooperating
with the
National Park Service
in preserving and interpreting the Park

Copyright 1962
Olympic Natural History Association