Today, Sherri & I continued our summer quest of visiting all the National Parks along the west coast. We stayed with Sherri’s brother Jim and his twin girls the night before at Fort Lewis. For some reason, we chose to watch a horror flick that night about some abandoned old cabin out in the middle of a forest. I’m not sure that was the wisest thing to watch right before we journeyed out into the backwoods ourselves. Our first stop in the Olympic National Forest was Lake Quinault, where we hiked a small nature trail through an actual rain forest. Supposedly, flying squirrels live in this area, but we were sadly disappointed not to spot any of them soaring between the giant Douglas fir trees. We then followed the coastline up to Ruby Beach and hiked along the shore while high tide was crashing down waves onto the rocks and islands. We skipped rocks on the calm inland pools of water, and enjoyed a snack while sitting on the enormous piles of driftwood that were stacked along the entire beach. As we drove back inland toward the Olympic Mountains, we found a nice campsite along the Sol Duc River. That afternoon we hiked out to Sol Duc Falls, and after some mac and cheese we decided to give the Ranger presentation a try at the amphitheater. We thought it was going to be about the numerous rivers that flow out of the park, but the ranger got so hung up on Salmon, that we decided to ditch…as politely as possible of course. Following the river back to our campsite, we had to carefully navigate across huge logs and side streams. The natural obstacle course was quite fun, and made for an exciting way to wrap up the evening. As the sun went down, we could faintly see fog rolling up the valley walls. We put the rain fly on our tent just in case the sky decided to rain. Before falling asleep, we watched an episode of Glee on Sherri’s I-pod that we hung above us in the tent.
Expenses: $31 gas, $2 carton of fresh raspberries, $3.57 Taco Bell.
Miles Hiked: 5
8/12/2009
This morning we tore down camp and had some hot oatmeal for breakfast. After packing the truck, we drove on up to the Elwha River visitor’s center. The road passed Crescent Lake, which was completely calm, except for a lone fisherman casting subtle ripples upon the water. An older gentleman greeted us at the visitors center, whom we had a long conversation with about the history and attractions of this particular section of the park. We asked if the rumor was true about there being natural hot springs along the river where people can soak. He laughed, as if it was the only question people ever ask him. However, upon learning about the high concentration of fecal coliform bacteria that exist in these contaminated little hot tubs, we quickly looked for other options. He convinced us to take a hike through Rica Canyon instead. This trail gave us wonderful views of the river, as well as an intriguing area called Goblin’s Gate—a narrow channel that forces the river into a steep canyon. Huge trees were suspended on their sides at the mouth of the gate, a for sure sign of the power and intensity this river can display at flood levels. After returning to the truck, we continued along the northern rim of the park until we reached Hurricane Ridge. Sherri busted open a box of Jelly Bellies that a student had given her awhile back, and had me guess the different flavors as I drove—only 4 out of 10 correct. This winding road climbed up into the clouds, leading to a visitor’s center perched right in front of the Olympic Mountain Range. We caught brief glimpses of Mt. Olympus, as the clouds would take turns attempting to pass over this massive peak with glaciers nestled on every side. After hiking a short nature trail along the ridge, we headed back down the mountain, and set off towards the North Cascades. We drove east as far as the road would allow us, and eventually had to ferry across the rough waters of an ocean channel. Once on land again, we found a rest area not too far from the park and hunkered down in the Blazer for the night.
Expenses: $31.51 gas, $9.39 Taco Bell, $13.75 Ferry.
Miles Hiked: 5
8/13/2009
I got an early start driving into North Cascades National Park because I was so eager to explore the “Alps of the Northwest.” Unfortunately, we were socked in pretty good by the clouds, hiding most of the larger peaks. We decided to hike a short trail along the Skagit River while waiting for the Ranger Station to open. Upon our return, we chatted with a ranger about potential cloudy day hikes, and he recommended heading over to the east side of the park where the elevation is a bit higher. We found the Rainy Pass Trailhead, and decided to hike the Maple Pass Loop. This trail could very well be one of the most impressive routes that I have ever hiked. There were spectacular views of several high mountain lakes, waterfalls, and razor edge peaks as we traversed along alpine ridges. Since the lakes were all fed by glacial melt, the water reflected a beautiful emerald green color. Even though clouds surrounded us, the sun would occasionally peer through, and once we were even doused with a sun shower. However, as soon as we crossed over Maple Pass and started our descent, the clouds darkened, and the wind picked up considerably. Then the rain really hit us hard, even to the point of haling at one point, while booms of thunder could be heard in the distance. Even still, the clouds broke just long enough for us to have lunch on a rock ledge overlooking a waterfall cascading into Rainy Lake. We were really soaked by the time we got back to the truck, and decided to call it good for our first visit of the North Cascades. Sherri & I will definitely be returning to this park in the future, hopefully at a time when the sun is more available. On our way home we stopped at a Dairy Queen as a reward for a successful day of hiking and another end to a great camping trip.
Expenses: $27.50 gas, $4.30 Dairy Queen.
Miles Hiked: 8.5
Total Trip Expenses: $122.82
Total Miles Hiked: 18.5
