Step Back into an Ancient Forest

All I can say is WOW!!!! Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center is an amazingly beautiful place. Located in the Opal Creek Wilderness Area it holds 35,000 acres of ancient, old growth forest and pristine waters. We, the students, were lucky enough to stay in two of the four immaculate rental cabins on the property. There is also a lodge and a bunkhouse where guests can stay. While there, we were fed amazing vegetarian food by two wonderful chefs. I am not a vegetarian, but the tasty food left no room to complain about the lack of meat. Oh yeah...and the electricity for the center is a mix of hydroelectric and solar, most power being generated by the hydroelectric system. Sooooooooo cool!

In 1859, miners came to Opal Creek in search of gold, but came up short. Mining continued in the area until 1992, when the Shiny Rock Mining Corporation donated the land to what was then Friends of Opal Creek, whose mission was to get permanent protection for the Opal Creek ecosystem. In 2005, Friends of Opal Creek changed it's name to Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center to reflect it's new mission of "protecting ancient forest stewardship through educational experiences inspired by Opal Creek's natural and cultural history."

Here are some pictures:

Opal Creek

The Canopy

Shrooms on a huge tree

Newt and reflection

Mating newts

The lodge at the center, where we got to eat all the wonderful food

Sunset

Some of the old stuff that has been collected from the site, they have collected a bunch of neat old stuff

Western trillium (Trillium ovatum)

Jawbone Flats