As I doze off to the sound of the Skokomish River, I hear the occasional sound of a rock inching its way down the river's bed: "Klunk!" It will take that rock a long time to get to the ocean. I think about how evident, yet imperceptible, erosion is to us--we witness the effects, but not the process. Perhaps it's because today is my birthday, one of the milestones. It took a long time to get here, but not as long as I expected. It's not that I feel older today than yesterday or last year. These milestones are simply reminders of the process--"klunk."
Photo: Camp Pleasant, on the North Fork Skokomish River.
I'm not a big fan of valley hikes that stay in the trees. If you are going to do a valley hike, though, the old growth is the way to go. You get to see the forest in its original state, with huge trees and heavy moss, but more importantly, you get to see the process. More on that later.
This was a solo trip (not planned that way, but the rain on the preceding Friday scared off my two companions). I started late in the day, at the Staircase RS on Lake Cushman. After paying my entry fee and wilderness permit (total: $17 for one night) I set out upstream, along the Staircase Rapids. Soon I came to a bridge that I have crossed before (really--this isn't another philosophical sidetrack), and it seems they've rebuilt it recently. Home Sweet Home (the camp, not the Redmond townhome) is 13 miles away. I'm not planning to go quite that far today (and enough with the parenthetical statements, already!).
This trail seems to have been a work road up to Spike Camp at 2.5 miles. This is a nice camp, but the water supply is back down the trail a bit. Big Log Camp, at 5.5 miles, is much better. If it looks full, look around, because the best campsites are tucked away in the trees along the river. I saw four large areas that could each accommodate at least two tents each. I chose one near the river and away from the bear wire.
And here's what I mean by "the process." When I went to hang my bear bag, I noticed the bear wire was strung between two large Spruce trees that were part of a straight row, seemingly planted that way. These trees were easily 200 years old. As I was hoisting the line, I realized I was standing on a strip of root vines and bark that had once been the nurse log from which these two trees grew. That explains why their roots (and that of the even larger trees in the row) reached 6 feet above ground level. I was probably standing on 500 years of process, starting with the sprouting of the nurse log and its eventual tumble. "Klunk."
I slept very well in a new, birthday-present sleeping bag, and awoke to see shadows on the tent wall. The sun was out on this last day of May. What an excellent birthday gift! I only wished my adopted sister and her future husband could have been there to see it.
Leaving camp, I decided to turn left instead of right, heading further into the forest. I crossed a really nice bridge where the river is funneled into a narrow channel, so it rushes and roars and mists under the bridge. There I met some hikers who had camped at Camp Pleasant, so I continued that far. This is an awesome forest camp! There's plenty of room for camps, with nice sitting logs and fire rings. The river is right there, and the moss seems to drip from the limbs of the trees along its banks.
I had seen two bear signs (yes, she crapped right in the trail, like she owns the place), so I took a break without wandering too far from my pack. I met two guys coming down from the pass, and they had seen her--about 300 pounds, by their estimation. The trail was snowed in at the pass, and they had not made it to Home Sweet Home, so I turned around at Camp Pleasant. Mae Westfalia was waiting at the trailhead for me, with a beer in the fridge and a fresh change of clothes.
Getting there: The trailhead is at the Staircase RS, on Lake Cushman Road, off Hwy 101 near Hoodsport WA.
Note: This is backcountry wilderness travel. Any trail can become very dangerous in winter conditions. You are responsible for informing yourself of the hazards and taking the necessary precautions. Please read Terms of Use.