Grove of the Patriarchs Loop, Silver Falls Loop — Wednesday, May. 31, 2023

Before everyone gets all excited seeing the Grove listed it's still closed.  Read on for details...

Like we have done every Wednesday after Memorial Day for the last five years me and my hiking buddy Jeno headed down to the southeast corner of Mt Rainier National Park to hike the Silver Falls loop trail and check out what if anything has been done at the Grove of the Patriarchs trail (closed last year and this year).  What can I say we are creatures of habit...

I met Jeno at 5:00 AM in Maple Valley and we headed south on Highways 410 and 123 arriving at the parking lot for the Grove right at 6:15 AM.   There were no cars parked ahead of us and the bathroom was in great shape and fully stocked.  The suspension bridge over the Ohanapecosh River was damaged during the winter of 2021-22 causing the trail closure.  When they announced the closure last year the NPS said it would be closed for two years.  We hiked out to the bridge and it doesn't look like any work has been done since we were there last year.  The bridge is still closed and blocked off and the bridge planks that were damaged remain in place.   There are also some fissures in the bank on the west side of the Ohanapecosh that were there last year as well.  From our vantage point we wonder if the trail will be closed beyond this year?

We turned around and headed back to the parking lot.  The Steven Canyon Road is closed on the west end of the Grove parking lot.  New this year is a guard (non NPS) sitting in a car watching things.  I walked over to ask them some questions about the road work and before I was to their car they jumped out and said "what are you doing here?  Where are you going?"  I was kind of taken aback by their confrontational demeanor.  Any way I explained I was hiking the Silver Falls loop and wanted to know about the road work.  Well long story short the road work will continue into next year and there is no access allowed for anyone hiking, walking or biking on week days when they are doing their road work.   

While I was exchanging pleasantries with the guard another hiker showed up and took off on the Silver Falls trail ahead of us.   We quickly caught and passed them and that would be the only hiker we'd see today.   The loop trail has a number of trees down on both sides of the river.  Probably 5 or 6 total.  All are the step over variety.  With all the warm temps and snow melt Silver Falls was raging this morning as was Laughingwater Creek and any other stream, creek or tributary we crossed.  Lots and lots of water flowing.  Having said that the Ohanapecosh is crystal clear and such a beuatiful river to look at.

We headed down to the campground and were curious what we would see camper wise.  On the way down the campgrounds along 410 while open were pretty empty with just a few campers.  Ohanapecosh CG was the same way.  Not as many folks camping compared to past week after Memorial Day Wednesday's.  As a FYI only the east side of the CG is open.  The west side is still closed.  We didn't see any rangers around to ask them when it might open. 

From there we went up the quiet west side of the Silver Falls loop to complete our hike getting back to the Jenomobile at 8:45.

Both on the way down and on the way home we counted cars at the various trailheads along 410 and 123 and we only saw one car parked at Crystal Peak/Lakes trailhead both going and coming back.  All the rest were deserted. 

One final note, compared to past years there was not much snow along 410 and very little at Cayuse Pass.   The warm weather we've had this May has taken care of it.    Stay safe everyone.  See you on the trail.  SR