3-day 2-night trip up to the new end of the trail (just past Bob Creek) staying near Spruce Bottom. Recent rain had the river crossing up a little but it was not difficult for a person 6'1" although the rocks were slick and mobile.
Started Friday morning, the ford was achieved, and in about 20 minutes my hiking buddy and I were on the trail. The little bridge at 0.5 miles is tilted but still works. All the grass in the meadows was bone dry and a sad grayish tan color. Something sweet and pungent was wafting through the air and permeated the entire valley all three days. Record fir was still standing and the side trail is excellently cleared (thanks!).
The usual place at 3.5 miles that's been a constant headache for the trail crew (and hikers) has finally been rerouted well around the river. It goes sharp left and climbs a 60 foot terrace then makes a large semicircle before dropping down to the old trail about 4.0 miles in. Shortly after, another bypass avoids windfall near the old Lower Crossing junction. Some of these changes will affect the official trail description and mileage for points further up river.
At Spruce Bottom, nobody around. We found a nice gravel bar and made camp. Went up the trail and river a bit to cross over to Smith Place. Evidence of the Lower Crossing coming in to the clearing from the south. A bucked log hanging over the east bank shows where the trail was at one point. Old Shaub Cabin is completely flattened and under a very dark spruce tree. Metal tanks and piping are all that's left basically.
I went to the north end of Smith Place to find the Tshletshy trail and started following it for a very short time. The tread was under some blow down and tracing it was difficult. I managed to find the first orange metal tag on a tree but the trail was really gone by that point. Headed back to camp for some swimming and dinner. Great big full moon woke us up around 4:00am.
Day 2 broke clear and mild. Little breakfast and coffee then hit the trail at around 8:30 to see if the upper valley was hikeable. The trail after Spruce Bottom goes through a lovely alder flat. The tread is easily followable, just need to head a little right once you reach the dry channel to pick up the trail again. Some really nice old firs around this area.
There's one good campsite at about 7.0 miles / opposite Tshletshy. All the views upriver have been completely obscured by alders though. There is a nice little bridge around here that I believe is the last structure this far up the valley. One tricky fern glade could use some flagging. Otherwise flagging is pretty consistent throughout the entire valley.
Starting at around 8 miles there a couple large trees across the trail that require some challenging or uncomfortable maneuvering. These two trees are the only significant barriers. Very pleasant walking through Harlow Bottom, sometimes on terraces, sometimes in the floodplain beneath a continuous canopy of alder.
There's a pretty good washout around 9 or 10 miles that is bypassed (thanks for the handkerchief marker whoever tied that one). Around here the trail also really fades and is basically followed simply by looking ahead to flagging. The trail is almost certainly before you even if you can't tell you're on it. One little washout requires stepping down into the hole and climbing back up and out.
Bob Creek - ugh. Not really there. I wouldn't camp here (there's no place to do so anyway). The creek is almost dry and the main Queets is well to the south. I continued on a little past there to reach the burn zone. Here the trail is really a mess. I decided it wasn't worth any more effort and turned around about 1:00, reaching Spruce Bottom at nearly 4:00, meaning the 10 miles to Bob Creek and back took almost 8 hours of nearly continuous hiking.
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