Name: Eliza B./Moderngypsy
box name: Quinault Rain Forest
location: Maple Glade Rain Forest Trail, Olympic National Park, WA
nearest town: Quinault
county: Gray's Harbor
trail: easy clues: easy (family-suitable on both counts)

From highway 101 in either direction through Olympic National Park,
watch for signs for the Quinault Rain Forest (roughly 45 miles north of
Aberdeen and 45 - 60 minutes south of Forks). Turn onto the SOUTH SHORE
road (North shore will also lead you there, but is roughly 26 miles
longer, around a scenic loop.)

Park across from the Quinault Ranger Station in the Maple Glade Rain
Forest parking lot. There is a day-use permit required, available at
the informational kiosk at the trailhead for a whopping $3 (which goes
to maintain trails, so it's worth it.).

Find the trailhead kiosk and start up the Interpretive Trail. (.5 miles
long, very little elevation gain/lost. Good for kids.) Take the left
fork and go past the huge Douglas Fir. Continue down the Interpretive
Trail -- it breaks off into the Quinault Loop Trail in two separate
places. Follow the signs for the Interpretive Trail. (For a side-stop,
though, if you take a left at the first branching of the IT and the QT,
there is an amazing bridge over a two-cupped waterfall that's stunning,
and not too far out of the way -- less than a tenth of a mile, easily.)

After the placque about the causes of tree death in the forest (the one
that discusses wind damage), the trail goes downhill. At one point, the
path ahead seems to be blocked by a strange mass of trees. The "nurse
log" has nearly rotted away to the left, and the path follows around
this "tree on stilts". About ten steps down, on the right, is a wooden
bench, and another five steps is a placquard about what a nurse log is.
Read up on your natural history and go back to the skinny tree on the end.

From this tree, take ten steps BACK the way you came. To your left is
a small path that goes over to the huge tree that's grown from the same
nurse log as the weird skinny tree.

At its base is an open cubby within the roots. Poke in it with a stick
to make sure nothing will bite you, and then find the letterbox on the
left side of the cubby, under some bark and twigs.

This is a well-traveled trail -- please take caution in removing the box
and returning it, and make sure it's well hidden. (And all the usual
precautions apply.)

----e