Big Creek — Saturday, Jul. 7, 2007

Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal

Jules and I had intended to hike Mt. Ellinor today but as it appeared to be blanketed in a dense gray cloud all day long, we opted instead to drive down to Big Creek Campground and do the 4-mile loop, cutting up to the lower Mt. Ellinor trailhead as a side trip. We covered 2000 vertical feet, enjoyed a quiet forest hike in solitude, crossed half a dozen beautiful streams, got a grand view of Lake Cushman, and just below the Overlook, Jules led me to a geocache with a million dollar bill in it! No mosquitoes or flies but there was a hornet's nest on the side of the trail leading up to lower Ellinor trail 812, just uphill to the Overlook. My dog Daphne got a sting and I got two horrifically painful ones on my leg on the way down. Beware of that, as the hornets are right next to the trail. The Big Creek trail crosses numerous creeks on well-constructed bridges. Daphne had lots of water to drink and enjoyed the soft tread. It's a nice steady but modest uphill climb, about 1200 ft in the first hour, and a nice hike for dogs. We saw only two people on the trail, despite the hordes of hikers still driving up the road in hopes of a clearing on Mt. Ellinor. Big Creek loop with a detour up the lower Ellinor trail makes for a nice day of hiking when the clouds sock in the views from up high but you still want vertical gain and can appreciate the lush forest scenery and bubbling streams.