I went as far as Lewis Meadow Campground over the course of a couple of days. The trail is muddy and flooding in places but nothing your waterproof boots, gaiters and poles can't handle. The middle of the trail is often much more firm than it looks, so checking the firmness with a pole will often help avoid unnecessary tromping on the vegetation.
As far as stream crossings go, theres a few small ones you'll have to carefully cross by carefully stepping on small logs and rocks. The poles really help with those. There's a stream crossing around trail mile 8 that's on a single log and was a little frosty for me, but should be fine if you take your time. About half a mile later (just before Olympus Guard station) there's a log jam crossing that you'll need to scramble across - again just take your time and check to make sure the steps are solid before you make them. There's a multiple-choice steam crossing around trail mile 10 (just past the turnoff to the Hoh Lake trail) - the large spruce tree on the left worked for me there once I scrambled up it's roots.
I saw some mountain lion, coyote, and elk tracks along the trail, and coyote tracks in the campgrounds but not the critters themselves, so be aware that they're around and plan accordingly.
Comments