Day 1) arrived at staircase (1.5mi hike from the closed road to the main staircase campground). The road is always closed in winter so plan on a little walk to get to the campground. We were concerned that our car might be illegally parked because there are a bunch of signs stating that it was for "day use only", but I don't think this is an issue in the winter. Some locals were also parked there just taking a walk and they also said that it was never an issue. We arrived late and so we camped for free in the (completely deserted!) staircase campground. Backcountry permits were available to be filled out and you can mail in payment later. Main toilets and water was shut off but decent pit toilets with paper were open. Don't plan on making a fire if you visit in the winter. Day 2) The bridge for Staircase rapids is out still, so if you want to hike more than a mile, make sure you are on the east side of the river starting out. We wanted to make it to flapjack lakes but made terrible time (made it about 6miles instead of 8) becasue MOST of the bridges were out and the water level was high. This is what I remember: - TONS of trees over the trail. Don't even bother going if you can't hop a couple feet off the ground with a pack on. - about .25mi in, trail slid into the Skokomish and there is a somewhat scary path you can take around the precipice but I suggest just taking the somewhat not-noticeable path around. - a mile in, there is a decent little bridge made out of a log that has a handrail. - 3 more rivers between 6" and 24" deep, fast flowing current though. We managed to get over all of them by rock hopping and carefully sliding along fallen trees. - The final doozy is the bigger river (forget the name) 2 miles after the turn off the main trail to get to flapjack. The bridge crossing the gulley was smashed by a tree and nearly folded in half. It is still there and you could *probably* cross without dying, but it would be foolish to try. Instead we spent the better part of an hour picking our way down the ravine via a "bypass" that leads to a river 3' deep and flowing fast. Lots of logs to jump across on but not for the faint-hearted because if you fell it would at a minimum be fairly scary and very cold (especially if you are carrying 45lb packs like we were). By this time it was about 3:00 and since it starts getting really dark under the trees at 4 we decided to call it. There was a great little camping spot just on the other side of the river that we called home. Day 3) The way out was much easier because we knew how to cross all of the streams. Took about 4-5 hours to pack the entire distance back to the car (about 7-7.5 miles) including a little lunch break. Overall a great little adventure for a 3-day weekend. Gotta go hiking in the rain more often! Oh, and we didn't see a SINGLE soul on any of the trails, just a couple of people at the car and one guy taking pictures at Staircase campground.

Group of 5 left Tacoma 7:15a, arrived staircase trailhead 9am, hot day so hiking in mostly shade along river/rapids was fairly cool and few others on trail until our return at about 2pm. Rapids, waterfalls over large boulders, deep pools seen; a few wildflowers along sandbars. No blowdowns or problems to speak of, until end of main trail about 2 mi in, when trail became difficult to negotiate, we turned around, and had lunch at large sandbar, gorgeous view of mtn across river, ducks,waterbirds, dragonflies. We waded in backwater pool there. Great turnaround place too. This is still a lovely hike, but altho elevation gain is low, 'cumulative gain' much more, so harder hike than was expected, those of us who are fairly short found the high steps over boulders, large roots,etc, quite a challenge, but worth it.

I woke up at 8:30am and did not want to get up. I’m still a bit ill but I forced myself out of bed anyway. My goal was solitude and for the most part I got it. Hiking in the rain on a Monday is a good strategy for solitude. I left the gate at about 11:30. The waterfall coming off Mount Rose is very big; the spring melt is in full force. Lake Cushman is low for this time of year because they have started letting more water flow into the Snohomish Valley. It was raining, so I decided to brew my tea and cook my lunch under the bridge just past the Staircase Ranger station. Ah what wonderful quite solitude and then suddenly BEEP, BEEP, BEEP. Someone decided to plow the 1/8th of an inch of snow off the closed parking lot in the closed park on the closed road. This must have been in preparation for April Fools Day. Finally after about half an hour the god awful noise stopped and I got to enjoy some peace and quite. But now I know why the trolls who live under the bridges are so grumpy I hiked 11.5 miles round trip so I could get some peace and solitude and instead I got the noise of heavy construction equipment. I would be willing to wager money that the snow would have all been melted by April Fools Day. I suppose the snow plow driver was having fun though. I had been hoping to see some elk but I assume the snow plow drove them all back into the woods. Quite a few signs of recent road work and a new culvert are in place. Yes the road will open soon then I can hike the trails but will have to leave the dog at home. On the way out I stopped to admire a huge old tree and then I heard the car that the snow plow driver had arrived in so I hid behind the tree until s/he had passed by. S/he probably wondered why they did not see me on the way out. They also probably wondered where I had come from when they first saw me after I came out from under the bridge. My crazy dog had a good long swim in Lake Cushman on the way back. I don’t know how she can stand that cold water, but it gets her clean for the ride home. I finished my hike at about 6:30. 11.5 mile roadwalk http://mosswalks.blogspot.com/

This hike was today, July 4, 2008. Your date pulldown needs updating. Yesterday the road to Staircase opened and ONP, Staircase is in operation. The trail crews have been at work on the North Fork of the Skokomish trail, but so has the weather. Within the 1st quarter mile, where the old road climbed a bluff, the river has reclaimed enough of the road that a new 50 yd. trail has been built back in the woods. The trail is in good shape to the Flapjack Lakes trailhead. From there to Big Log, the trail is pretty good, with only a few logs to climb over. The bridge over Donahue Creek has been washed out and not replaced. However some stone hopping and log scrambling gets you across. Past Big log, there has been less work. Things are fine to the high bridge over the Skokomish at the Six Ridge trail junction and for another 1/2 mile or so. A small creek descends the western side of the river and it has brought down a big gravel and stone slide that has wiped out the trail in spots. You can pick your way through the slide alder and such and it should be flagged pretty soon. However closer to Camp Pleasant, the river has taken out increasing stretches of the trail and about .1 mile before Camp Pleasant, the trail appears impassable. The river has cut the trail away where it skirted a steep bank and the slope is now blocked by a big downed log, whose roots overhang the river. The slope is very steep, with Devils Club and the log is quite large. Perhaps the only way around is to scale the valley wall and work around above the spot, but who knows what lies beyond. It will be interesting to see how much of Camp Pleasant the river left. The VIP ranger was just getting up the trail today and will access the blockage. There were a lot of parties who thought they were headed to Camp Pleasant, so maybe some of them will force a way trail, or maybe not. Better check with the Park before planning a trip up the Skoke to see how they resolve this one.

I tried this hike a couple weeks ago but the road was closed to Staircase due to SNOW!! We made it this time, and there was no snow, and it was actually quite warm. There were a few patches of snow, maybe a half dozen with one or 2 patches on the trail. I took two women that I work with, who don't hike, and they were amazed at the beauty of the Olympics (and were sore the next day!). It's so nice to share that place with other people! It might be an easy hike, but it's one of the most beautiful places I know of. No bugs, and no rain! This is the perfect season to hike in - non-hikers think the weather is too crappy, and I certainly am not going to tell them otherwise... I find it incredibly peaceful!