Duckabush River — Monday, May. 28, 2012

Olympic Peninsula

The Duckabush trail is closed for very good reason. The burn area starts just past 2-Mile (River) Camp. Charred snags and huge fir and cedar supported only by burned roots with the soil gone from underneath present significant danger. Loose rock and branches were coming down with no wind at times. Our WTA crew wore hardhats at all times. The problem is, things seem just fine until they aren't, and one loose rock or canopy wind can take out a tottering snag. I'm not generally a doom and gloom kind of gal, but unless you are with an approved work crew, please stay off this trail! I hope my pics at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51278183@N05/sets/72157629945878746/ are enough to quell your curiosity until this wonderful trail re-opens. If personal safety is inadequate motivation, the Forest Service is tracking scofflaws who choose to hike this trail despite the warnings, so prepare for a ticket if you're reckless enough to disregard the trail closure. And please, please, if you choose to have a fire backcountry, put it out COLD! The river was only a few feet away from the human fire that burned nearly 1,300 acres of beautiful forest. Despite the burn, sedum, trillium, paintbrush, monkey flower, false Solomon's seal, strawberry, rhodies (first part of trail only) and salmonberry were blooming in protected damp spots.