The alpine zone is a world of extremes. On a midsummer day the sun shines warm and bright, but clouds can bring snow or a lightning storm in a flash. Without the protection of trees, the wind blows across the tundra with a cutting edge. Many alpine plants grow only inches high for protection from the wind. In sheltered rock gardens, alpine wildflowers embroider the barren landscape.
Summer here is an explosion of life.
The growing season is short and fast - after the snow melts, the plant community takes advantage of the long days to do all its growing, and seasonal animal visitors move up to the alpine zone. Found only in the Olympic Mountains, this large relative of the ground squirrel lives in subalpine meadows and alpine tundra, whistling a high-pitched alarm call when disturbed. Every morning, these sociable, playful creatures visit each other's burrows to greet one another. When hibernating for eight to nine months, a marmot's heartbeat slows from 130-140 beats per minute to four per minute. The coastal zone of Olympic National Park, a 57-mile strip of Pacific coastline, contains several worlds within itself.