Rainforest Rain

Olympic National Park

In Washington’s temperate rain forest, little rain falls in summer. So the first rain of the season is a joyful occasion for plants, animals, and human visitors. ~Willaby Creek, Quinault Rainforest

A small hike to the falls just after the first deluge rewards photographers with dramatically increased volume and velocity. ~Cascade Falls (bottom), Falls Creek, Quinault Rainforest

From the top of the falls, the change is equally dramatic. Just a few days ago, a lazy creek showed barely a trickle of movement. ~Cascade Falls (top), Falls Creek, Quinault Rainforest

Seasonal as it is, the rain feeds the lush green forest understory as well as towering spruces, maples, and hemlocks. Until the recent rain, dust covered these plants. ~Hoh Rainforest

Changed overnight from a few tiny rivulets to voluminous raging torrents, this remarkable scene is just a short, if soggy, walk from the road. ~Bunch Creek Falls, Quinault Rainforest

A longer, wetter walk reveals unusual falls. Confronted with solid rock, the creek splits into three parts, two of which diverge at right angles from the mainstream to rejoin down below. ~Sol Duc Falls

Again, simply a dribble in summer. After the first rain, the main streambed can’t handle the volume, so an exuberant fork launches a second torrent. ~Merriman Falls, Quinault Rainforest