I lucked out big time. Planned for bad weather but got perfect temp but cloudy day, really a great day for an Olympic hike. The trail was great, good shape. The bridge that has been out for a while is still out, there is a large log to cross on but very slippery. All the crossings, even the one that didn't have water, were extremely, insanely slippery. Way more than I expected and I figured they were pretty slick so be very careful, more then you would think. Most of the bridges are the worst, just hang on and take it slow when using them. Really beautiful old grow and there was no one on it although it might be busier on the weekends. When looking for the trail head, go to the back of the parking lot. Elevation didn't feel like much at all. Have fun out there!

Great hike with some big trees. Don't miss the giant Western Red Cedar that split in half and fell across the Skokomish. This is at the first Pack Animal Sign that is seen on the trail near the 2mi point. Don't go past this pack animal sign :-) Really cool hike.

On a "marine layer" day, The Boy, The English Teacher and I set out to explore the upper South Fork Skokomish Trail. By the time we reached the trailhead, clouds had burned off and we had perfect sunny upper-60's hiking weather. With only a few hours available, we wandered up trail 873.1 to the Upper SF Skokomish crossing (2.2 miles) and spent an hour lunching and playing near what is more like a creek at this point in the year. The Boy and The Teacher used old logs to build a bridge to a large rock near shore, but wading turned out to be the best solution (once the toes went completely numb). I did a little casting in an effort to present my usual offering to the stream rocks (one spinner per trip is my limit), but I shook loose the only rock I snagged, and thus broke even on the day. This high up, where the SF is fairly small, there is a lot more fishin' than catchin'. This is a beautiful lunch spot, where one could spend an entire lazy afternoon. But eventually, our schedule (and the need for the traditional post-hike ice cream) called.

The log bridge (with railing!) across Rule Creek is in fine shape. The subsequent (nearly immediate) crossing of the SF at the "slump" area provides some choices. The nearest spanning log is sturdy enough, but barked and possibly a little shaky for some. Following the stock crossing signs takes you downstream to a wide spanning "tree chunk", which is easier to cross than it is to get to, but a good choice for those worried about traction. The log bridge at the Upper Crossing (where we stopped) is wide and sturdy, with helpful steps chopped into either side. Nice camps lie nearby hidden in the trees just before you get to the Crossing, camps we hiked right by on the way in. Nice day, nice stroll; 4.4 miles r.t., maybe 300 feet gain, counting the minor ups and downs along the way.

  Needing to escape from life on a hot weekend, I went with a friend up to Lake Sundown for a night. We didn't escape the heat (ugh), but didn't see any other people from one hour into the hike until a couple hours before finishing, so it was nice to be alone in the mountains.
  The trail is generally in good shape, although there are some trees across it throughout. The first bridge across the S. Fork Skokomish is completely gone, but there's a bit of a trail from the horse crossing sign to a large tree across the river. Or you can rock-hop, or wade. Crossing Startup Creek is a wade or clamber across a boulder and tree.
  Around 3000', just below the first meadow, a large tree is down, laying straight down the trail - it's easiest to climb up on it and walk along the trunk for 50 or 100', then walk alongside it until the trail emerges from beneath it.
  The meadows are nice - if you're careful you can cross them without getting wet, as they are starting to dry up, and there are lots of elephants' heads blooming, and frogs hopping and such. Even a few shooting stars remaining. And a pond full of pollywogs. At the largest meadow, just cross to the very farthest point to pick up the trail again. The last mile to the pass is kind of unpleasantly steep, especially in the heat. There are a couple snow patches before the pass, but nothing difficult, and nice ponds and streams and meadows.
  Dropping down from the pass to the Six Ridge Trail, there are a couple blowdowns, a lot of elk tracks, and some moderately steep, but suncupped, snow patches. These require a little care. There are a few more snow patches on Six Ridge Trail to Lake Sundown, but again, not difficult, just wet and sloppy (when I was there). No snow at the lake at all. The outlet stream requires knee-deep wading to get to the campsites.
  Quite pretty at the lake, and the wet meadows at the head of the lake are fantastic - tons of flowers of many sorts, a bear ( both in the evening and in the morning), about 20 elk (lots of young ones), and a nice swimming beach with evening sun. There are lots of fish in the lake as well.

  Not much blooming down low - foamflowers, salal, lots of nice twinflower; still some vanilla leaf and starflowers as well. As you climb, you get a lot more - prime summer dark woods flowers - 3 species of wintergreen blooming in one 30' stretch, pinedrops, pinesap, Corallorhiza, rattlesnake plantain, Clintonia, false lily of the valley etc. Higher still there is tall larkspur, buttercups, shooting stars, elephants' heads, the first few wood lilies, various Epilobia, bog orchids, a few Trillia still, yellow violets, pale violet violets up high, phlox, meadowrue, LOTS of white Erythronium lilies, a couple yellow ones (not open yet), blueberries, Mertensia, a white waterleaf, a few lupines, columbine, more false bugbane than I think I've ever seen, and pink heather.

  All in all, a very nice hike, although a bit steep in places for a hot day. Bugs were annoying a few places and times of day, but certainly not unbearable, and I never used repellent.