Flapjack Lakes via North Fork Skokomish River — Friday, Apr. 7, 2006

Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal

Even with a forcast of rain I decided to try and get up to Flap Jack Lakes. I found the gate closed 1.2 miles from Staircase. After looking at the hillside and being surprised by little snow below 2500ft I decided to not drag the snowshoes along and instead just go as far as I could without them. I was happy to not take an ice ax, also. The trail had a couple of small trees down before the turnoff to FlapJack Lakes at 5.2 miles (due to the road closure) Very little snow until I headed up the hill toward the lakes. Not far up there was a huge pile of trees and branches right at a switchback. No large trees just plenty of branches and such. A trail had been devoloped around it. There was at least one more of the same before the snow got too deep for me at about 2200 ft. I turned around just past the board walks. It had started drizzling and later became an all out rain. At one point the water was running down the trail pretty swiftly. People had made a side trail around that also. There were lots of branches and limbs a pruning saw would handle easily. It was a very plesant 13 mile trek that I would do again. I heard the coke bottle sound of the Grouse but neve saw them. If you want to reach the lakes however, take the snowshoes. The 1.2 walk on the rode was actually pretty nice too. There are lots of things to see that we usually drive right by, such as American dippers.