Washington Bio-Diversity and Habitats
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On the far western shores of Washington State the land rises up from the ocean floor and ascends to the top of the highest volcano in the Cascade Mountain Range: Mount Rainier at 14,411 feet. Washington is located on the edge of the Pacific Ring of Fire and is home to eleven volcanoes. The last volcano to erupt in Washington was Mount St. Helen in 2008 which was a small eruption compared to the massive 1980 eruption. Of the eleven volcanoes, only four are considered extinct and many have been active within the last 150 years.
For thousands of years the land of the Pacific Northwest lay dormant under massive ice sheets that flowed down from the north; pressing and scraping the land, these ice sheets sculpted and created the terrain we know today. In most areas the ice was 3,000 feet thick, but in some areas it was twice as thick. As the glaciers melted and exposed the earth, life quickly moved in, colonized and created habitats that evolved and followed the receding edge of the ice. The flora and fauna learned to adapt and survive as life slowly moved up to higher elevations. Today you can find amazing life of all kinds from seashore to mountain top.
Does it rain in Washington? Ah, well, yes and no. If you focus on eastern Washington you would say no, there are many parts of Washington that average less than 10 inches of rain a year and some only 7.5 inches (even Tuscon, Arizona gets 12 inches of rain a year!). Western Washington is famous for rain, especially the Olympic Peninsula. Towns like Forks and south to Lake Quinault and Aberdeen average 12 - 13 feet a year, with records up to 15 feet and even more at higher elevations in the wilderness.
Because of such great variations of elevation and rainfall, Washington has numerous life zones and an abundance of habitats with micro habitats: Alpine, Sub-Alpine, Montane, Temperate Rainforest, Oceanic and Riparian in the west and Eastern Washington habitats include arid and desert zones, wetlands, lakes, scrub lands and the massive Columbia River Valley.
And what does this all mean? Bio-Diversity! Here are the stats: 515 species of birds, 140 mammals,
25 amphibians, 28 reptiles, more than 2,000 moths and butterflies, nearly 500 freshwater and marine fishes and 3,100 plant species (not including mosses, lichens, liverworts and fungi)
and over 20,000 invertebrates.
Now is the time to to visit beautiful and diverse Washington and see what you can find!
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Washington Diversity Tour
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10-Day Tour with Cabins
Tour starts in the northern part of the Olympic Peninsula and down the Pacific Coast. From the coast we travel east along the Columbia River and cross the Cascades just south of Mount Rainier. In eastern Washington, visiting sites along the Columbia River Basin. From the rainforest to arid eastern Washington, on this tour you will experience the bio-diversity of Washington state and visit habitats and life zones as diverse as the lowland rainforest, pacific coast, inland lakes, alpine, estuaries and river sloughs.
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10-Day Tour with Car Camping
Tour starts with pick-up at the Bainbridge ferry terminal across from Seattle and ends at the Bremerton ferry on your way back to Seattle. You can choose lodging in cabins or tent camping at state parks with nice facilities. Camping is always best because you will be closer to nature. Our tents are very comfortable with lots of thick floor mats and bedding. You will see more birds and wildlife if you choose camping.
Web Link
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Current dates available to join an existing 10-Day tour:
May: Good availability for most dates
June 12 - 21, 2019: 10-day Birding and Wildlife Tour,
4 spots left
June 21 - 30, 2019: 10-day Birding and Wildlife Tour,
4 spots left
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5-Day Tour with Cabins
The 5-day tour starts with pick-up at the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal, which is easily accessible from the Seattle. From there the tour will travel the entire 350 mile loop of the Olympic Peninsula Highway stopping at all significant wildlife sites including Olympic National Park.
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5-Day Tour with Car Camping
You can choose lodging in cabins or tent camping at state parks with nice facilities. Camping is best because you will be closer to nature. Our tents are very comfortable and cozy with lots of thick floor mats and bedding. You will see more birds and wildlife if you choose camping.
Web Link
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Current dates available to join an existing 5-Day tour:
April: Limited availability
May: Good availability for most dates
June 17 - 21, 2019: 5-day Birding and Wildlife Tour,
4 spots left
July 15 - 19, 2019: 5-day Birding and Wildlife Tour,
3 spots left
September 12 - 16: 5-Day Birding and Wildlife Tour,
4 spots left
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Olympic National Park Fun
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Winter Snow Fun
We have a lot of beautiful snow this winter and the snow pack should last through the spring. This is the best snow year in a long time so schedule your snow-shoe or cross-country ski trip today.
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Backpacking
Backpacking season starts early in Olympic National Park. There will be snow at higher elevations through early summer, but at sea-level the temperatures stay moderate and starting in March there are many great locations available for over-night trips. Check our website for a list of camping locations for any season.
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Nature Tours
Winter and spring are the best time of year for birding on the Olympic Peninsula with over 300 different species of birds identified on the peninsula and over 500 in Washington state.
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Hiking
Olympic National Park has over 600 miles of maintained trails and nearly 70 miles of stunning Pacific Coastline. Choose your hike and habitat; rainforest, mountains or coastal routes.
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Fly-Fishing
Whether you enjoy an afternoon of fishing along the river, a day on Lake Crescent or including fly-fishing with your over-night backpacking trip to an alpine lake, we will have a tour for you. Check our website for more info.
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You can find out more and see all our great photos on social media
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Check our new website for dates, details and pricing
Call us at 970-556-6103
email: KaiyoteTours@gmail.com
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Come see the Big and Beautiful Trees!
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Check it out!
I have upgraded and improved the technology behind my website; all sorts of new stuff. The new website makes it easier for navigating on a cell phone and travels faster! I have added many new pages and it will be a work a progress for a few months to come.
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International Travel Tours
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We are expanding our tours in Asia, Africa and Europe
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New Tours for 2019, 2020 and 2021
- Uganda: Birds, African wildlife and a chance to see the Mountain Gorillas and chimpanzees.
- Sarawak and Northern Borneo: Birding and wildlife viewing, including orangutans
- Sri Lanka: The best and most relaxing bird tour you will ever experience
- Nepal: Birding the fantastic Himalayas and a great cultural experience
- Mongolia: Birding the high steppes and staying in traditional "Gers" for lodging
- Korea: Winter birding to view cranes and migrants
- India: Birding for vegetarians, great culture and great food
- Cambodia: Birding and cultural tour
Our favorite places and tours that will continue to be on the schedule
- Iceland: Great tours in May, the best New Year's Eve trip ever, and a special winter tour
- Sweden: Christmas tour, Southwest Sweden and the Åland Islands for mid-summers'
- Nicaragua: Our all time favorite place for birding and traveling anytime of year
- Taiwan: A very special place for birding and one of our favorites
- Colombia: Birding the Andes and having a lot of fun
- Argentina: Birds and butterflies, more than you can count
In the United States
- Santa Fe Birding and Opera Festival
- Chicago Lyric Opera and urban birding
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Check our new website for dates, details and pricing
Call us at 970-556-6103
email: KaiyoteTours@gmail.com
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Your Dedicated Guides
Kaiyote & Ed
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Photo: Here we are snowshoeing Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National park. We look forward to meeting and showing you all the great birds and wildlife and adventures that can be found around the world, the United States and in Washington state. Call us anytime! See you soon!
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