Was lucky that the infamous mudslide on 101 didn't affect my plans this morning. This was a great reminder that I should always check WSDOT alerts before heading out!
The great news is that the road to Staircase has graduated from its cheese-grater status. Yes, some potholes, but they are minor. The road is in rather pristine condition. The North Fork trail to the Flapjack Lakes Trail junction is excellent. Only one log to climb over. The trail to Flapjack Lakes is kinda a tale of two trails. Before the Madeline Creek crossing, it is flat and quite nice. There were a few blowdowns to manage, ranging from mildly to moderately inconvenient. This was the theme after the creek crossing as well, but the trail steepens and becomes very rocky. Unfortunately, I didn't make it to the lakes before I had to turn around, but I was maybe a mile away. I stopped at around 2800 ft, and the trail was still snow-free. Only saw one other person on this trail the whole time.
Once back on the North Fork Trail, I started to see more people. And of course, there is always that one person with a dog, even though the signs CLEARLY state NO PETS. Makes me crazy. Other than that making me kinda grumpy, it was a wonderful, moody day in the enchanted forest.
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