Perfect day. Partly cloudy

Six months since my knee replacement and I was itching to try out my new boots!  I have wanted to visit the Interrorem cabin (first and oldest ranger station/home on the Olympic Peninsula) near Brinnon on the Hood Canal.  The nearby Ranger Hole trail on the Duckabush River, at only 1.85 miles R/T and an hour from my home in Port Townsend, made this a perfect choice for me on this mild, misty winter day.

The paved road to the parking lot was in good shape. The short interpretive loop trail by the cabin has signage with interesting facts and photos about ranger Emery Finch and his wife, Mabel.  The fact that the cabin (constructed in 1907) is still standing is a testament to young Emery's devotion to craftsmanship. (Note that it can be rented for overnight stays!)

The well-maintained trail to Ranger Hole begins to the right of the cabin.  It winds through deep woods of hemlock, fir, cedar and big leaf maple cushioned in thick carpets of moss and lush ferns.  Impressively huge stumps give clues as to how massive the trees once were here.  Now they provide mossy nurseries for another generation of tiny Hemlocks.  The last section of the trail is steep and was slippery and muddy from recent rain in some spots, but not impassable.  The trail ends on a rocky overlook, with wonderful viewing spots of the gorgeous turquoise pools and rushing white water of the Duckabush.  (Note there is no easy access down to the river).

I only passed 2 people on the trail today, but it was mid-week in winter.  I imagine this is a very popular destination on weekends and in other seasons.  What a great start to a new year for me on a beautiful USFS trail, breaking in new boots (and a new knee!).  

Beautiful!

The trail was in good shape, with no obstructions.  Lots of fungi out, and still some fall colors on the trees.

This is a short and sweet trail! It’s not completely flat and offers some minimal elevation gain which is nice if you’re looking for a little work out. We watched some salmon jumping at the river for a while and only ran into a handful of people. There were some fall colors but I was impressed with how green everything was :)