Elevation Gain: Approximately 2000 ft.
Time: 10:00 am - 3:30 pm
Weather: Mostly cloudy, warm with quite a few sun breaks.
Planned a day hike with a few recent alumnae from my high school for this weekend. It was kind of a reunion hike. The plan was to have Creighton, me, two former students, and one of those student's older brother. The four other people besides me were the same four people I helped in week 51 as they walked the Wonderland Trail in 3 days. Unfortunately, Creighton couldn't make it this day. We looked around for hikes, and we wanted some distance. I suggest a tried and true trail, the North Fork of the Skokomish River. I have hiked there now four times: Weeks 37, 47, 74, and now 94. I am not afraid to repeat hikes, I talked about that a little last week. This is a beautiful place with lots to do. Twice I turned 4 miles up the trail and went to Flapjack Lakes. This week, we went past the turn off and continued another 3 miles up to Camp Pleasant.
The hike started like many hikes do. A good group of people laughing and talking as we walk up the trail. Within a few minutes, we seattled into a groove: the two young boys walking and talking, and the two older boys walking and talking. They trail is easy, comfortable walking. No one section is too steep. We made it, according tot he trailhead, 4 miles in an hour and 15 minutes. This is the turn off to Flapjack. We took a little break for water and food. I love hiking with these guys. They are the kind of people who bring a lot of food to share. We hate blueberries (carried in a Nalgene, brilliant).
After only a few minutes we took off again, up the trail. We were now on new trail for me. It was beautiful. The Olympics are magical. It is hard not to enjoy oneself while walking in this park. We crossed a few creeks that were flowing fast. We even had a blowdown or two past our last bridge, and we got to Camp Pleasant in 2 hours and 15 minutes, 6.9 miles from where we started.
We found an area near the river and in the sun. Here we ate lunch, played made games with rocks, and the younger boys played in the river. One kid ate another's prosciutto. The younger boys started to "build a dam." It was so much fun watching two recent high school graduates act like little kids again. It was almost like I could see them as first graders moving rocks and playing in the water. We took a long break. We capped it off with a big group plunge into the river.
We dried off and walked back to our car. The younger boys ran ahead, while the older brother and I enjoyed each other's company on the way back down. I almost always wear my Volunteer hat when I hike. I got it almost 2 years ago when I helped the Olympic Park with a Marmot study. It is a National Park Service Hat that says Volunteer. About 15 minutes from the trailhead, we bumped into "Ranger Ranger." For those of you who may not know, a "Rangr Ranger" is a park ranger that takes being a ranger to seriously. This one, in particular, took to informing me how me wearing this hat was a "violation of park rules." It was an awkward conversation, and an unfortunate way to end the hike.
Orchid: Swimming in the Skokomish.
Onion: Ranger ranger.
Picture:
Google Map
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