On the Washington coast in Olympic National Park, near the village of La Push, there is a place called Second Beach. Access to Second Beach requires a short hike through the rain forest. Throughout most of my visit to Olympic National Park, the sky was overcast. However, during the hike to Second Beach, the sun came out for about two minutes, filtered down through the trees of the forest, and provided the opportunity to capture this beautiful image.

I grew up in a desert environment and spent most of my life in an area where water is scarce and trees are sparse. Before my visit to Olympic National Park, I thought I knew what a forest was. I was completely ignorant! Never had I imagined a place where the trees were so thick they could completely block the sun and create a feeling of dusk during the middle of day. Never had I dreamed possible a place with such an abundance of plant life. The solitude and beauty I discovered during my visit to Olympic will remain with ...