Uhambo Oluthakazelisayo Oluya E-Olympic National Park

NJENGOBA ngakhulela eduze neNtaba i-Olympus yokuqala eningizimu yeYurophu, nganginelukuluku ngezici eziphakeme zenhlonhlo yezwe eqhele ngezinkulungwane zamakhilomitha engenela ePacific isuka onqenqemeni lweNyakatho Melika. Lapho umngane wami ekhuluma ngamahlathi emvula akuleyo ndawo eqhelile—engamakhilomitha angu-8 000 enyakatho-ntshonalanga ye-Amazon—lokho kwangiyengela ukuba ngiye e-Olympic National Park.

Ukwenza ucwaningo oluncane ngaphambi kokuba ngivakashe kwembula ukuthi leli paki elingamahektare angu-350 000, elisejikeni elisenyakatho-ntshonalanga ye-United States eSifundazweni saseWashington, linenqwaba yezinto ezithakazelisayo eziyisimangaliso semvelo. Lapha, ngaphansi kwenkungu yasePacific esibekele ugu nezihlahla, umuntu angathola izihlahla ezinkulu, usebe lolwandle olumazombezombe nemvula eningi kakhulu emhlabeni. Leli paki linezintaba eziphakeme, ezisitshekelwe yiqhwa futhi ligcwele izinguzunga zeqhwa ezihamba kancane, kanye nehlathi lemvula elimangalisayo nelimnyama njengamahlathi ase-Amazon.

Ngo-1788, ukaputeni oyiNgisi waqamba isiqongo salezi zintaba—esicishe sifinyelele emamitheni angu-2 500—ngokuthi iNtaba i-Olympus, esiqamba ngendawo yonkulunkulu baseGreece basenganekwaneni. Ukuze kulondolozwe lolu gwadule, kwasungulwa i-Olympic National Park ngo-1938.

Amahlathi Emvula ENyakatho Melika?

Ngolunye usuku olupholile ekuseni ekwindla, uMike, isakhamuzi sakule ndawo nongumqondisi wezivakashi, walinda mina nomkami emahhovisi aleli paki, ePort Angeles. UMike, olishiyile igabade noyisidlakela, uyaziqhenya ngokubonisa izivakashi ezinjengathi amagugu aleli hlathi lemvula. Usho ngeqholo uthi: “Cishe amahlathi emvula ayisici esivelele kunazo zonke e-Olympic. Leli gama livame ukubhekisela emahlathini asezindaweni ezishisayo. Amahlathi ethu lapha aphakathi kwamahlathi emvula amancane ezindaweni ezinezinga lokushisa elithokomele.” Lapho ngicela incazelo, uMike uyashesha ngezibalo: La mahlathi athola imvula eningi ngokungavamile emithambekeni esentshonalanga yeziNtaba zase-Olympic, esukela kumasentimitha angu-200 ngonyaka eduze nogu kuya kumasentimitha angu-400 noma ngaphezulu ngasezigodini ezisezansi namagquma. Zintathu izigodi ezinengxenye enkulu yamahlathi emvula: ezasemfuleni iHoh, iQueets neQuinault.

Azizwakali izigi zethu ngenxa yezinto ezivundile ezingaba yisigamu semitha ezigcwele enhlabathini kuleli hlathi lemvula. Izihlahla ezinkulu zenza ukuthi ungangeni umoya ovunguzayo; ngisho nemvula ena njalo lapha yehla kancane sengathi inkungu eluhlaza. Sithola ukukhanya kwelanga okuncane nokufiphele lapha ehlathini. Inyoni ekhala kancane izwakala ikhala kakhulu, futhi ubona ngezithunzi ezinsundu zithi shwí phakathi kweziqu zezihlahla ezigcwele ubulembu, kanti amaphiva.

Lapho Izihlahla Zimila Khona Phezu Kwezinye

Njengoba phansi kuminyene, imbewu ayilitholi ithuba lokukhula—yingakho nje eziningi zezihlahla ezinkulu kuleli hlathi zimila ezingodweni. Lezi yizihlahla eziwile, ezibolayo eziyindawo evundile yokwamukela imbewu ewela kuzo. Kuyinto evamile ukubona izihlahla ezinkulu eziningana ziwuklele zimilé esihlahleni esisodwa esikhulu esiwile, futhi ukwanda kwezingodo okumila kuzo izihlahla kubangela ukuba kube khona izihlahla eziwuhlu—sengathi zitshalwe ngokucophelela ngemigqa.

Njengoba sishiya imizila eyisicaba futhi sikhuphukela phezulu ezintabeni zase-Olympic, leli hlathi liyashintsha, njengoba i-Pacific silver fir eyingqopha-mlando ngobukhulu ne-alpine fir kuyiyona eningi lapha. INtaba i-Olympus inezinguzunga zeqhwa ezingu-7 eceleni kwayo, ezinogqinsi olungamamitha angu-300, futhi kunezinguzunga ezingaphezu kwezingu-50 enhla nezwe.

Iziqongo Ezimazombe Namawa Ambozwe Yiqhwa

Amandla aqedwa yilolo hambo lokuqwala intaba olunzima kwakumelwe avuselelwe. Ngakho, usuku lwethu olulandelayo lwaqala ngokudla kwasekuseni okumnandi esitolo sokudla esincane ePort Angeles. U-Arlene, uweta wethu onobungane, wayejabulele kakhulu ukukhithika kunemvula. Waphikelela ngokuthi kuyobe asibonanga lutho oluyizimanga zezintaba zase-Olympic uma singayi phezulu ngaseziqongweni ezimbozwe yiqhwa empumalanga yepaki.

Njengoba silandela umgwaqo oya eDeer Park empumalanga yePort Angeles, sazithola sisemgwaqweni okhuphukelayo noyibhuqu onamajika acijile alandelanayo. Savuzwa ngokubona indawo enhle enyakatho naseningizimu, phesheya kweNsungubezi yaseJuan de Fuca kuya esiQhingini iVancouver kuqhubeka kuye maphakathi neziNtaba zase-Olympic eziphakeme nezineqhwa. Ezimfundeni eziphakeme, sabona amaphiva amaningi nezitshalo ezintekenteke ezingamili kwenye indawo emhlabeni ngaphandle kwalapha, kuhlanganise ne-piper bellflower ne-Flett violet.

Sabe sesifika eHurricane Ridge. Kulula ukubona ukuthi kungani umgwaqo oya kuyo ungumgwaqo omkhulu wasentabeni othandwayo kuleli paki. Muhle lo mgwaqo, uqala eduze namahhovisi aleli paki futhi uphela endaweni engamamitha angu-1 755 ukuphakama ezimfundeni ezinezimbali khona kanye onqenqemeni lwezintaba zase-Olympic. Ukusuka lapho, izintaba zishona ngaseningizimu, kuneziqongo ezilandelanayo ezineqhwa kanti izigodi eziphakathi kwazo zigcwele izinguzunga zeqhwa. Njengoba sibuka lé, kunamafu ahlangene ahambayo avela ngasentshonalanga.

Iminduze eminingi yokuqala iyaqhakaza njengoba iqhwa lincibilika ezimfundeni, futhi izinyanga ezintathu ezilandelayo, kunezimbali ezimibalabala. Amaphiva alunguzayo ayabonakala emuva kwale ntaba, futhi ngezinye izikhathi izimbuzi-mawa zibonakala zicaca emaweni ngenhla komgwaqo omkhulu.

Amagagasi AsePacific Ashaya Ephindelela

Ukuze ufinyelele emabhishi amahle kakhulu e-Olympic kufanele uqwale intaba ngezinyawo hhayi ngemoto. Sihamba phakathi kwamahlathi sisuka edolobheni iForks elisempumalanga, safika emabhishi anamadamu enziwa amagagasi ayegcwele izilwane zasolwandle ezithakazelisayo eziningi. Ngalé kweNhlonhlo iTeahwhit sathola iGiants Graveyard, ingxenye yolwandle enengxube engahlelekile yamadwala asontekile enza amagagasi amakhulu asePacific abe amagwebu. Izihlahla ezikulolu gu zigobe zacishe zalala phansi ngenxa yokushaywa njalo umoya ovela olwandle. Njengoba sasihamba sehlisa ugu emoyeni onamandla, sasizungezwe izingodo ezisosebeni ezime kahle namatshe abushelelezi.

Kithina i-Olympic National Park yayiwugwadule ngempela futhi ingonakaliswanga ukuhamba kwesikhathi. Yasenza samesaba uMdali, ‘okukhona esandleni sakhe ukujula komhlaba; iziqongo zezintaba ngezakhe nazo. Ulwandle ngolwakhe, walwenza; nomhlabathi owomileyo izandla zakhe zawubumba.’ (IHubo 95:4, 5)—Inikelwe.

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Kungani Lina Kangaka?

Amafu agcwele umswakama aya maphakathi nezwe ephehlwa umoya wogu lwePacific aphoqeleka ukuba anyuke ngenxa yokuvinjwa yiziNtaba zase-Olympic ezinde. Njengoba amafu ekhuphuka, ayaphola, futhi umswakama wawo uba yimvula enamandla noma iqhwa. Ngakho, umthambeka osentshonalanga yalezi zintaba uthola imvula engaphezu kwamasentimitha angu-350 ngonyaka. INtaba i-Olympus ithola amasentimitha angu-500, ngokuvamile akhithikayo. Kodwa indawo esempumalanga ekulokho okwaziwa ngokuthi umthunzi ovikela emvuleni ihlala yomile.

[Ibalazwe ekhasini 22]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

PACIFIC OCEAN

CANADA

U.S.A.

I-OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK

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INtaba i-Olympus eneziqongo ezimbozwe yizinguzunga zeqhwa yengamele ihlathi lemvula iHoh

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IChibi iHome enhla nesigodi soMfula iDungeness

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Ezimfundeni eziphakeme, kunamaphiva amaningi nezitshalo ezivelele njenge-“Flett violet”

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Ugu lwePacific eKalaloch Beach

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IziMpophoma zaseSol Duc

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Izingodo ezikhafulwa ulwandle eRialto Beach