Well, for my introduction to REU research, this hike was pretty amazing... I was actually told to hike- wow. The hydrology research project is examining the relationship between snowpack, forests, and stream flow, while adapting a modeling program that was used on a nearby watershed for the Elwha. Royal Basin is an area that houses a good size cumulative snowpack throughout the snow season, and we may return to this area in the winter for data collection (we were asked to check out the basin before the first snow). Chris and I got a bit of a late start to our trek because of my morning interview at the farm, so we knew that the hike was most definitely going to be a speedy one. Unfortunately we didn't get to leisurely enjoy all the new sights and sounds of this incredible area, but I think my camera did a pretty decent job of freeze-framing some of the beautiful scenery. Along the way we saw vibrant colors from the trees and glacier fed streams, some gnarly cougar prints, and rugged carved out channels. Royal Basin definitely has potential to hold snow; I'm interested to see what kind winter accumulation is standard over here on the Peninsula... with the incentive of good food and wine enticing us at home, we raced back down the trail and hobbled into the car. It was an awesome day and a great start to this hydrology project.
