We were a group of four human and two canine hikers today. We hit the trail around 10 am, after navigating the frustrating FS roads. I think some of the signs are down and that may have added to the confusion. The trail is in excellent condition all the way to the top. The flowers were blooming at the first meadow. Warning to dog hikers, there is very little water on this trail. We found a small trickle of a stream early on and nothing after that. When you get to Camp Windy (where the trail gets confusing) walk straight into the campsite area and there is a large murky pond just over the hill. Good enough for the dogs to splash around in and rehydrate. I wouldn’t even drop my filter in that water, but then I don’t have the stomach of a dog. If you skip the pond, just take the trail around to the right, there is a small sign on the tree there. The final accent to the top is switchbacks on the exposed hillside. The summit is beautiful! We lingered there for a couple hours, trying to pick off the tiny landmarks in the distance. We were thrilled by two bald eagles soaring in the breezes above us. The hike down went quickly and we spent some time chatting in the parking lot over a couple ice cold Heinekens.
Another “don’t miss” hike in the Olympics. There is a great little restaurant in Quilcene with one of the better pizzas I’ve ever had. The locals will tell you where it is, I forget the name though. If you have any questions about the hike or would like the Garmin tracklogs, feel free to email me at mainsailmainsail @ centurytel.net. (remove the spaces)
Comments