Zen and the Art of Wildlife: Olympic National Park

We all look for those magic moments outside, from extreme adventures down to quick walks with the family. These are moments  when everything aligns and, for lack of a better way to put it, you feel lucky to be right there, right then, just to see it happen. It could be watching a sunset from a high peak, a tree crashing into a river, or ice sloughing off of a glacier.

When it comes to experiencing wildlife in its element, moments like these never end. If you have the patience and/or good fortune to see a herd of elk wading across a river, an osprey grabbing a trout out of the water, or a whale posting its fluke high into the air, it is pretty difficult to want to be anywhere else.

Of course, being there to catch the action is the real challenge; thankfully, we have some excellent, patient, and very talented filmmakers who've shared some of their work with Outdoor Project over the years. We've picked four videos that masterfully capture unique experiences with wildlife, and we'll be posting a new video each week in March as part of a Zen Wednesday series. These videos are gorgeous reminders of those elusive moments that keep us looking for our next adventure.

To kick it all off, enjoy this astounding footage from Contributor Kevin Freeny. In just a few minutes, this video will have you transported from your seat into the Hoh Rainforest in Olympic National Park. You'll feel like you're looking right into the eyes of the animals as they stop by for a drink, and the sounds Kevin captures are incredibly rich and evocative. Enjoy!