Quinault Rain Forest Loop #854
Jan 06, 2007
- Type of Outing
- Day hike
- Read More in our Hiking Guide
- Hike: Quinault National Recreation Trails
- Region: Olympics -- West
- Agency: Olympic National Forest
- Trails: Quinault Rain Forest Loop (#854)
- Avg Rating: 2.00
Although the Quinault area is quite a drive for me (from Bellingham), it is somewhat surprizingly quick because I was on freeway all the way to Aberdeen. For Seattle area residents, the drive wouldn't be too bad at all. Taking the ferry and driving around the north side of penninsula wouldn't be quicker for anyone, more scenic though.
Recently I bought Robert Van Pelt's ""Forest Giants of the Pacific Coast,"" and renewed an old interest in giant trees. Although most go to the Hoh River for a rainforest experience, the Quinault actually consistently contains the larger trees. I guess this is because the area right around the lake is basically a lowland or foothill environment rather than the mountain valley which is all that's left of the preserved old growth in the Hoh. Also interestingly, the South Shore area which contains the biggest trees is not in the national park, and also contains a significant number of houses and a golf course, which was especially a surprize to me.
Anyway, although the winter might seem like a good time of year to make a soggy pilgrimage to the forest giants, I really wouldn't recommend it right now. First off, the storm damage is very extensive. The western trails (nature trail, Quinault loop) are reasonably passable although there are quite a few downed trees. Not really out of the ordinary for this time of year. The eastern trails though (Graves Creek) have been completely devastated. Drive up the Wright's Canyon road a little ways to see what I mean. The Graves Creek area trails actually have signs at the trailheads saying ""closed to public use."" ""Yeah right,"" I thought, being used to burly abandoned trails and whatnot. I turned back within a couple hundred yards... I have never seen a blowdown this extensive before. The only thing in my experience that compares is the avalanche path coming down into Bachelor Creek on the Ptarmigan Traverse. Fortunately, I guess, the decimated area seems to be one of younger forest. I guess the largest trees at the end of trail are still standing. It's just going to take a lot of work to get a trail pushed back there.
I also tried to hike up the Willaby Creek trail which leads to a very large cedar tree. I was really enjoying this trail as the rain forest seemed to become deeper and more primeval as I hiked towards the valley wall. Unfortunately though, a significant portion of the trail has become a creek/swamp type thing. After about a half hour of trying to get around the area, I finally gave up. Definetely a trail for a dryer time of year. There's also a sign which says there's no bridge across Willaby Creek which seems quite large.
So, I mostly had to be content with seeing and photographing the more accessable large trees in the area: the big spruce right near the lake, and the Quinault Lake Cedar. This tree is the largest known tree in the world outside California. It is indeed enormous and anyone familiar with the Ents from Tolkien will immediately be reminded. It's a little unfortunate though because this tree is right at the end of its life cycle. Almost all of the bark and branches are dead and the bottom of the trunk is rotted out, allowing access to several ""rooms"" at the base. I'd really like to know how old this tree is, though I guess that would be impossible because the trunk is so rotted through.
After all this I drove up to Kalaloch to see the big cedar just off the road there. This one is ridiculously gnarled and imposing, but much shorter than the Quinault tree. Worth the stop though for anybody in the area.
Anyway, I'll be back when it dries out a bit and the trails are repaired, which could definetely be a while.
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