A trip out to the coast usually marks the start of my backpacking season. This year was no different, but it could end up being my first and only trip this season. I went with my brother for a week on the Olympic North Course Route, starting at Sand Point up to Shi Shi and then back.
The parking lot at the Cape Alava trailhead was less than half-full when we arrived on Saturday afternoon. You could tell Spring was right around the corner with its welcome sunshine and robins flitting about in the fields.
Right at the start of the trail, before it splits into Cape Alava and Sand Point trails, there is a downed tree. It was the same tree that was there when I visited last October. The trail to Sand Point was mostly boardwalk, much like the Cape Alava trail. The boardwalk is in okay condition. There are many spots where a board is missing or broken due to decay. At times it was evident that the supports for the boardwalk had rotted out underneath, which caused the deck to tilt. This was occasionally an issue because of the slippery spots on the boardwalk.
Sand Point was a nice spot to camp. The trail system that links you to campgrounds is overgrown and in need of brushing to clearly distinguish campsites from the surrounding forest. It looked to me like people had been camping in spots that weren't really established simply because it is not clear where they should be camping. No fires here, so we spent the first cold night listening to the wind rage through our surroundings.
We hiked next day from Sand Point to Seafield Creek. The coast along this stretch is your typical mix of coastal terrain without too many obstacles that required extra effort (like up towards Shi Shi). We made good time and arrived at the Ozette River close to low tide in order to ford. I hate this part. While I do appreciate the Ozette River filtering out a lot of people, I do not appreciate the rocky riverbed that jabs into the arches nor the usual icy cold temperature of the water. I vowed after this last time that I would carry whatever weight needed to bring along a pair of water shoes. There were some people staying at the cabins up near Seafield Creek and they asked how the ford was, my simple reply "It hurts".
Seafield Creek has an excellent water source, and not much else going for it. This is the worst campsite of the north route in my opinion. The sites are always soggy, the area is exposed to constant wind off of the ocean, and the trail leading up to the campground is a washed out disaster. It felt very unsafe to clamber up the muddy slope with our packs on to access the camp. There is a social trail that goes up the hillside directly to the north of the logjam on the creek. There are some daffodils growing there on the hill as well. Plenty of firewood to be had around the logjam, which we used to have out best fire of the trip because the wood was almost completely dry.
The hike from Seafield Creek to Shi Shi beach (something a little over five miles) doesn't look like much on the map, but oof. This part is always a physical trial with a heavy pack. The coast starts out as bands of cobble that suck the energy out of your steps making it hard to get into a good rhythm. Then it graduates to more rocky terrain with plenty of rocks the right size to twist an ankle, and algae to help make things more challenging where footing is concerned. There are a few headlands to round, which is best done around low tide if you're not interested in scrambling up or down steep inclines with ropes.
After a few headlands you reach the first section of an overland trail that avoids impassable portions of the coast. This overland trail is why I listed the trail condition as "difficult". It is clear when hiking this trail that it has not seen even basic maintenance in years. The two sections of overland trail need help right now otherwise they will be lost. It is challenging to follow the trail for a few reasons: brushing the trail corridor has not been done in years so the trail is overgrown in many places, there are multiple blowdowns across the trail (especially the second section), and there are a profusion of social trails from other hikers losing the trail. Even the orange blazes weren't enough at some points to keep you on trail.
We arrived at a quiet Shi Shi beach in the afternoon and were able to get a great spot. We had no competition, as the ranger at the WIC had let us know the Makah had shut their trailhead down. We spent a couple of days at Shi Shi enjoying the beautiful weather. One other backpacker showed up on our second day out there, but they camped far up the beach from us.
The hike back was from Shi Shi to North of Ozette River campground. If Seafield Creek is the worst campground then I think N. Ozette River is the best! This was around seven miles and it was a slog to get through. By the time I dropped my pack at the camp my feet were aching. We both agreed to skip the fire for the night so we could turn in early. We were lucky and got the coveted site out on a tiny sliver of land between the Ozette River and the Pacific Ocean. The views for stargazing at night are awe inspiring. I love to get a good bed of coals going from a fire and then just sit and stare at every bit of the universe that is visible from that vantage point by the river.
We were closing in on a week out, so we began to see other backpackers making their way across the river. We even saw some people who brought an inflatable raft to cross the river at high tide. It looked nearly effortless and very much drier than our usual method. I was jealous! For those of us who have to use our feet, a few words of advice: wait for low tide and cross closer to the surf. Look for stretches of riffles, which indicate shallow water moving over rocks, and cross there.
The plan was to ford the river back on our last evening so we could be positioned for an easy hike from Cape Alava in the morning. I regret not thinking of the crowds that were likely at Alava on a Friday evening. There was very little space available, and we were close to other people. It would have been better to camp at South of Ozette River campground to avoid Cape Alava.
The hike out from Cape Alava was easy in the morning. I got back to the car and changed into some clean clothes I had waiting. The parking lot was full and we ran into multiple groups of dayhikers looking to escape to the beaches. It is no wonder that shortly after our trip Olympic National Park stopped allowing camping.
A great trip overall. The weather could not have been better. At this point my brother and I feel spoiled because every time we come out there is ample sun. Hopefully, things will be in decent shape this October because I also like to end the season with a trip out there.
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