Japanese Gulch

In Mukilteo, between Everett and Lynnwood, is the parks called the Japanese Gulch. It seems to be a strip of land that no one could build on so the town converted it to a park with hiking trails. Lots of dead, moss-covered trees to explore if you can manage the climbing up and down the hills.



More interesting than the mossy bits are the ferns that grow on the sides of the dead and living trees.

Just enough sunlight reaches the forest floor to excite the growth of the ferns but not so much to stress their shade loving systems.

Some trees even decide that there is enough sunlight to start growing sideways instead of concentrating on continuing to go up.

This fern frond (say that 10 times fast!) managed to insert itself into the one space on this side of the stump where the sunlight ever reaches. All else is dark and mossy.

At the bottom of the gulch is a small, quiet stream that is filled with rocks.

These (fiddle head?) ferns have found a good spot to put down roots and show off.