When legendary trip reporters Bob and Barb are in the area and invite you hiking, you don't worry about the weather but pack your rain gear and go. When they suggest the Rock Trail, you might momentarily pause to hope that in your own retirement, you'll still be game to casually hike 1,200' vertical in the rain.
We were surprised to see the gate closed on Cleator Road at the Fragrance Lake trail intersection. But Google said it was only .8 miles to the trailhead, so we decided a short road walk wasn't a deal-breaker. Soft mud across the road a short way up suggested the likely reason for the road closure. The road up to the gate was uneventful and could be easily driven by any vehicle.
Like most NW forest hikes, this one might be at its best in the rain. The greens are greener, moss at its lushest and giant rock walls at their most dramatic.
The trail itself is a work of art and makes me grateful yet again for the WTA and all the other local forces that pull together to make such beautifully built and maintained trails possible. Thanks to everyone who worked on this bit of woodsy, rocky perfection which even in constant rain remained mud free and the many stairs solid.
The giant boulders and rock faces along the trail are remarkable and well worth the visit. And the countless trails throughout the park mean all kinds of loop combinations are possible for return explorations. If you'd like to read up on the geology of the trail, including an explanation of how those sandstone "caves" form, local geologist Dave Tucker has a page on the Rock Trail: https://nwgeology.wordpress.com/the-fieldtrips/rock-trail-geology-larrabee-state-park/
On the drive back, we stopped by the Welts-Samish Restoration Site (http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/welts-samish-restoration-site) where a couple days earlier, Bob and Barb had seen a leucistic bald eagle (leucism is a rare genetic condition that causes a reduction in pigmentation). On our visit, the clouds had opened up into a sunny afternoon, and in an amazing stroke of luck, that leucistic eagle did a fly-by right past us, settling into a nearby tree. See Bob and Barb's report from their previous visit for a photo of this rare eagle: http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/trip-reports/trip_report.2018-03-11.3849179568
For more photos from this hike, see Bob and Barb's trip report linked below.
Comments
Thank you for your great report! It made it easy to write ours! :)!
Posted by:
Bob and Barb on Mar 16, 2018 11:47 PM
I learn trip reporting from the best! Love your photo mix and happy we got out, rain and all.
Posted by:
Girl and Dog on Mar 17, 2018 01:10 PM
Loved the monkey rescue!
Posted by:
silverhair on Mar 17, 2018 08:34 AM
We did too! It was Bob's eagle-eye that spotted the muddy little bundle trail-side. If it was a kid who lost it, we all know that heartache and hope for a reunion... and perhaps several spin cycles.
Posted by:
Girl and Dog on Mar 17, 2018 01:14 PM