Elevation Gain: Approximately 2000 ft.
Time: 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Weather: Overcast, cold, rain turning to snow as I climbed up the trail.
Had no plan for this weekend's hike, even when I woke up Sunday. I laid in bed and considered if this would be the end. I chose that this weekend would not be the end. I went some place that is easy to drive to, relatively close, and familiar. I went back to "Staircase," a trailhead in the Olympic National Park. I have hiked from here four times in the last 116 weeks that I can recall without looking it up. It is a great trailhead, and it has one of my favorite hikes (Flapjack Lakes).
I had no plan, just to hike until I felt like turning around. It is a great trail with a nice slow, steady grade that climbs along side the North Fork of the Skokomish river. About an hour into the hike, I started seeing snow along the trail. Soon the snow was on the trail, but it wasn't slippery or tough to deal with like the hike the week before. I was at the trail junction to turn to Flapjack Lakes in about an hour. There I met two cool guys whose footprints in the snow I had been following. We exchanged some good stories and walked together for about 5 minutes.
I left them as they were trying to decide if they wanted to camp there or move to Camp Pleasant. Within 30 minutes, I saw the third and finally hiker of the day coming down. She had made it up to the camp and was heading back out. I decided then to continue up to Camp Pleasant. The rest of the hike was uneventful, peaceful, and spent in solitude.
At the camp, I tried to find a dry area (there weren't any). I hate some snacks, and geared up for the return hike. Right as I was leaving the two hikers I passed earlier showed up. I wished them well, and then hiked down to the car. The hike took about 2 hours down and ended in the dark.
Orchid: Not ending the streak.
Onion: Soaking wet everything.
Picture:
Google Map
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