Three Gems is a site dedicated to exploring the richness, and significance of the Olympic Peninsula, the Cascade Mountains, and the Salish Sea.
The Olympic Peninsula
A peninsula, a coast and a magnificently illogical clump of mountains. No wonder they are named for the mythical home of Greek gods.
The Cascade Mountains
The Cascade Mountains run parallel to the Pacific Coast starting in South Central Oregon and extending north into Canada. Really a hodgepodge of various mountain ranges, volcanic peaks such as Mt. Baker, Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier form the backbone of this mountain range. Other various groups like Stuart, The Pickets, and The Entiats are thrown in for good measure.
The Salish Sea
| Many people think that Puget Sound is actually a sound, a narrow body of water open on both ends. But it’s not. It’s a fjord – a long finger of water carved out by glaciers. What is even more surprising is that the Puget Sound is attached to a larger body of water, an inland sea that includes the Straight of Juan de Fuca, Georgia Strait and the waters surrounding the Gulf and San Juan Islands. Named for the language group used by the indigenous folks who’ve been living on and around the sea for over ten thousand years, the Salish Sea is a unique ecological and cultural marine marvel. |
Woody Moses- Author
Born in Oregon, but raised in Rhode Island, Woody has always lived near the coast. He earned a B.A. in Biology with a minor in French from Vassar College and then moved back to the Pacific Northwest for an M.S. in Oceanography at Oregon State University. Since 2003, he has been living in Seattle where he works as a biology and environmental science instructor at Highline College. He spends his free time exploring the wonders of the Salish Sea and the majesty of the Cascade and Olympic Mountains. He’s also been known to pick up a guitar or a hammer from time to time. Thankfully, the guitar still isn’t broken and the hammer doesn’t sound too bad.