Take a (virtual) hike

WASHINGTON-Generally, when one is told to 'take a hike,' the tone is less than friendly. Still, Washington State Parks uses the phrase literally and has effectively changed its connotation from insult to invitation. If getting to a state park isn't possible due to restrictions to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus and its newest mutations, fear not. Rangers from all over Washington State are furthering their digital reach by taking viewers on hikes via their YouTube channel.

As a research tool, these videos document plant and animal species in a particular area during a specific season. Rangers returning in later seasons can use the videos to compare the current season against previous years visually. The data helps rangers to note what factors may be affecting struggling populations.

Video also provides a preview of the terrain to future park visitors. With this knowledge, they can be better prepared. Knowing whether to bring water shoes or hiking boots, etc., can be the difference between a fun time and a real drag.

The most recent addition to the video collection is a deep forest experience at Rockport State Park. Senior Park Aide Don Smith and his eagle-topped walking stick tours the old-growth forest.

Rockport State Park is a 632-acre day-use park and provides an extraordinary example of a temperate old-growth rainforest. The park's ancient trees, having never been logged, form a landscape and ecosystem seldom seen nowadays, a canopy of towering evergreens so dense that minimal sunlight shines through. Many of the trees were around before Euro-American contact in this country.

The park stands at the foot of the climbable Sauk Mountain, elevation 5,400 feet, and allows visitors to catch a glimpse of a now rare ecosystem.

Situated in northern Washington, Rockport State Park was once a popular destination for tent and RV campers. In May 2007, it was closed to camping because the old-growth forest, which is estimated to be 400 to 600 years old, showed signs of structural instability that could have put campers at risk.

"I tell people everywhere you walk in this forest, the Skagit River is flowing right underneath your feet," Smith explains, "It comes off of Sauk mountain 5400 ft snow-capped peak up behind the park to the north. When that snow melts, it hits the layers of clay or rock under the soil layers and flows downhill with gravity right under the park until it eventually surfaces in a stream." There are many trails to explore, so take a hike!