Wet Feet

Quinault Rainforest 7/27-7/29/07 24 miles

There is a reason why it's called a rain forest. If you need the help, here it is. It rains in the rain forest - even in the relatively dry days of July and August.

I had been planning a trip up the Quinault River through Enchanted Valley over Anderson pass and down into the Dosewallips River valley. But in 3 days we would have had two very long days of 10+ miles. Michael & I were just not in the shape to abuse our bodies in such a manner. So, we opted for a shorter hike up the North Fork Quinault River valley, then we'd head uphill to the Skyline Trail and back out again. 24 miles total with the longest day being 11 1/2 - whew!

We started out early Friday morning along the trail within earshot of the river. We were soon within view as it rumbled along over the rocks, twisting and curving around the sandbars. The first mile is a pleasant walk through green foliage sprinkled with splashes of blue & red berries hanging from shrubs and vines. At approximately 1 mile the trail crosses the river twice forcing hikers to ford the river without benefit of a bridge. I had never had to cross a river in such a manner - streams and creeks were no problem, but I was a little trepidatious about this crossing. After discussing the route with Michael, I took the plunge. The current pulled on my trekking poles and legs and the water frigid, but it was quite fun. I even asked if I could cross a couple more times after we crossed the second section.

Lunch was eaten at Wolf Bar camp another mile or so up the trail, a nice spot for a short afternoon break, if not a place to camp. But our camp was another 2 miles up river. We climbed out of the valley a bit, but never far from the river, as the forest became more dense around us. Moss appeared to cover everything. The moistness also presented a minor but irritating problem - mosquitoes. Out came the bug repellent so we could continue on in relative peace.

The moss-covered sign for Halfway House camp, our home for the evening, was soon at our feet. We found a campsite over-looking turquoise green pools as the river flowed through the canyon and thought it would be a wonderful evening to sleep under the stars. Remember those pesky little mosquitoes on the trail? Well they were in full military mode at our camp. Setting up the tent was our only refuge from the swarms around our heads. They may not have been landing, much, but they were damned irritating. We lounged around in the tent and as evening approached, we watched as clouds silently moved up the valley. But hey, it's the end of July, it's just clouds, no need to worry.About 4:30 in the morning, the rain started to fall. Michael quickly draped the rainfly over our tent and we settled down again for a couple more hours of sleep.

Saturday's hike would take us another mile up the river before we'd start a rigorous climb up the Elip Creek trail to the Skyline trail - a climb of almost 3000 feet in 4 1/2 miles. It would be long day for us as we are not fast climbers. By the time we got to the main trail from camp, my boots pant legs were soaked from the rain-moistened foliage of the surrounding shrubs. My feet would not be dry for the rest of the weekend. We turned off the main trail onto the Elip Creek trail and made our way up the ridge through the thick forest as it cleared to become tree-spotted meadow. By this time the clouds parted slightly to allow us views of the mountains toward the interior of the park. We contemplated staying in these meadows for the night as the view was stunning with the distant dark green valleys giving way to light green alpine meadow and snow crested peaks above those. But we continued on to our camp for the evening at Three Prune Camp.

We settled into our tent that evening after a quick dinner and listened to the rain as it splattered against the rainfly. I fell asleep to that sound and woke the next morning with the same spattering in my ears. The one nice thing about rain - the mosquitoes have better places to be than buzzing around our heads. My feet became wetter with each step as we made our way through the clouds that had embraced the ridge. Rain fell on us off and on throughout the morning as the trail led us past reflection lakes then Three Lakes camp before heading downhill and back into the trees. We saw no-one on the trail all morning until we came across a trail worker diligently clearing the trail of downed trees and over-grown shrubs.

Lunch was eaten at Big Creek where I rang out my socks, hopefully for the last time that day. The air had gotten warmer and we hadn't felt a drop of rain for several miles, so we peeled off our raincoats to finish off the last 4 miles. Within a mile the sun broke through the clouds to warm up the forest, we were already warm from the previous 7 miles. The trees seemed to glow with the light, finally showing itself. As we finally reached the valley, I noticed the trees of the forest had changed to big leaf maples arching over the moss-covered landscape. A creek wound its way through the trees, a lovely setting. But all I could think of was finding a spot to rest my still wet and aching feet. What I found was a mossy open stretch under moss laden maple branches. We rested a while, swatting away mosquitoes, enjoying the slight breeze and the opportunity to rest our feet. I could have stayed there longer, in this quiet and restful spot. But our car waited for us, a mile and a half away.

It didn't take us too long before we passed Irely Lake to the swamp that lay beyond. We had been warned by another couple about the swamp with mud several feet deep and an impossible route to follow. And here we stood, looking at a few random pieces of wood tracing out a possible trail. I went ahead, shaking my head and laughing at the predicament of top heavy backpackers making their way across 2" wide planks. Then I came to an area where there was no apparent way across. I decided to test the depth of the mud with my trekking pole - just how muddy would I have to get - when my pole thunked against a buried plank. I made it to solid ground and began coaching Michael across. The forest again changed to cedars with little undergrowth.

The sun soon glinted off of windshields and metal. Our 11 mile day was soon over and I smiled a smile of accomplishment. We stopped at the Quinault store for burgers, onion rings, and milkshakes. Warm food for our cold feet.

Breaking in Bonnie

Royal Creek 7/14-7/15/07 7 miles

My friend Bonnie has been listening for years as I regale her with my exploits in the woods. We had been hiking together, but Bonnie was ready for the next step - she wanted to go on an over-night expedition. So I planned a trip to Royal Lake on the Olympic Peninsula. It is 7-mile trip in to the lake - a respectable distance for me and a place I had been eyeing for several months. I also figured Bonnie, who is in good shape would also be able to manage.

On Saturday morning, I picked her up and we made our way to the trailhead. We started off strongly as we head up the Dungeness River, stopping to admire the rushing water as it roared down the valley. We began feeling our packs soon after the junction with the Royal Lake trail. A few rocks next to a sliver of a stream gave us an inviting welcome for a rest and a snack. But our way was becoming slower as the moss under the trees became more dense and covered everything in a thick green carpet.

As we passed 3500' marked with a sign warning campers not to use fires beyond this point (stoves only), I became a little worried that Bonnie might not make it all the way, we still had a bit of a climb to get to the lake. And after we met up with hikers heading back out with the news that wee had probably another 4 miles to go, I made the decision that the next suitable campsite we came across would be our home for the evening. Soon, we found a spot located a little downhill from the trail and not far from the creek as it splashed over rocks and around fallen trees.

Someone previously had used the area, if not as a camp but as a toilet and had left their toilet paper littered behind a tree. I will in a later blog expound on the Leave No Trace principles. I would have loved to give that lecture to whoever left the TP blooms. Bonnie couldn't resist and quickly busied herself burying the mess. As she was doing that, I noticed a fly convention a few yards from our tent. I had to investigate, because I would hate to find out if wee set up camp in an area frequented by bears. But what greeted me was something even more disturbing - an aborted animal fetus.

Before you ask, no, I did not take a picture of it. I just couldn't make myself. For the rest of the trip though, Bonnie and I referred to this little spot as the aborted fetus campsite. Nothing bothered us that night as we laid in the tent reading, and at least for me, it was a restful slumber. Sadly Bonnie was on a slope and kept sliding into the wall of the tent. The next morning, I lounged out by the creek while Bonnie caught up on a little more sleep. But soon it was time to pack up and head back home.

It's amazing how hiking out is generally easier and quicker than hiking in. We were out in almost no time. We didn't make it to our destination, but Bonnie had a good taste of backpacking and is starting to plan her own excursions into the woods.

Trail Etiquette #1

Denny Creek 7/10/07 4 miles

One problem with living so close to an urban area such as Seattle, where the citizens love to be in the outdoors is you run across what Michael & I term as casual hikers. Casual hikers are the folks who wake up on a Saturday, see that the sun is shining bright and decide that a hike might be just what they should do for the day. So with no planning whatsoever, they strike out for that trail a friend told them about for a nice little walk in the woods. It's not that casual hikers a bad, but they can become their own worst enemy when in trouble. Luckily most casual hikers survive their day in the woods and relate their enjoyment to co-workers on Monday.

But casual hikers are also going to be most likely to ignore or be ignorant of hiking ethics - the greatest of which are the Leave No Trace principles. I can go into those in greater detail at a later point. A common courtesy though, which I met up with on this mid-week hike up the Denny Creek drainage, is a question of right of way.

I was told several years ago that hikers, climbers, and other adventurers who are heading uphill have the right of way. Meaning, that if you are heading downhill and another hiker is heading uphill,, then you step aside, stop, and allow the uphill adventurer pass with a wave and a smile. This does not mean you plow right past them thinking they will step off for you. The main reason for this? It takes a lot more effort to regain your pace as you head uphill, where downhill momentum isn't as hard.

So please, next time you are on the trail and someone approaches you as they're heading uphill, do the courteous thing and step off the trail to wave them on. In the meantime, the image above was taken overlooking Keekwuhlee Falls.

Candy Canes and Waterfalls

Snoquera Falls 7/8/07 2.5 miles

What to do on a Sunday morning after spending a Saturday volunteering for your national parks? Why not take a short hike in the woods? Michael was on-call for the weekend so had to stay home. Instead, I took my best friend Olympia with me. And since Olympia can't go far, the short hike to Snoquera Falls was in order.

This is actually a fairly easy hike and is described in the book best Hikes with Dogs in Western Washington as not many hike this sweet little trail. The waterfall at the apex of the loop during early spring is a gushing cascade crashing down the steep cliff wall. However, this far into the season there's not much of a spray coming off the rocks. But who cares when you can have an enjoyable walk in lush green trees and carpets of moss?

We would have continued on the loop except that the last time I hiked this trail the loop is lost not too far beyond the waterfall. Also, when Olympia starts heading back to the car it means she's had enough and wants to go home. On the way back down, I made a little side trip to photograph a couple of Candystick flower stalks.

Beauty on the Eastside

De Roux Creek 7/1/07 6 miles

I hate to admit this, but I had never been hiking in the Teanaway area. So when the Mountaineers Naturalists needed help in the area with outings for their class, I jumped at the chance. I was attached to a group heading up the De Roux Creek trail.

For a girl raised on the wet side of the mountains, Eastern Washington holds fascination for me. I love the wide open views where the trees and undergrowth don't get in the way. And yes, I realize I might be a little strange for saying this, but I like seeing the brown - of the rocks, dirt, dried grass. It's just such a different color to the one that permeates everything on the westside.

yet here I was with the naturalist group studying flowers, ferns and trees - some of which were new to me and others in the group, but there were quite a few old friends to me, flowers and plants that I had grown up with and are a comfort for me to see - beacons of the hiking season. What a wonderful way to be introduced to a new hiking area - through old friends such as the Avalanche Lily, Elephant's Head, and Columbine.

I have every intention of heading back - and soon.