Monthly Archives: April 2012

Hiking Gold Creek with the Klahhane Hiking Club

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By Bret Wirta-The Incidental Explorer

Distance: 10 mile round-trip – Time out: 5 hours

Degree of Difficulty: 1 – Pet Friendly: Yes

April 25th 2012.

Mossy rocks

Mossy rocks

Gold Creek isn’t a destination hike. Most of the beauty occurred during the first half hour of the hike along the Dungeness River and Gold Creek. But the trail provides some nice views of the ridges and mountain peaks as it leaves the valley floor. The problem is that Gold Creek didn’t start out as its own trail. The Gold Creek trail used to be the beginning of the trail to the Tubal Cain Mine, but when the National Forest Service built road #2870 it cut the trail in half. The interesting half of the trail, the Tubal Cain Mine Trail, now begins on the other side of the road where the Gold Creek trail ends. It’s kind of like taking a nice four-course meal and serving two courses one night and then two the other. The appetizer and salad will be tasty, but it won’t be as hearty a meal as the main course and dessert and certainly not as nice as if you ate them all together.

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Barefooting the Ozette

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Barefooting the Ozette

Barefooting the Ozette

I was born to be Outside. So when a friend wanted to plan an Adventure to the Coast and looked at the Weather Forecast. I got really excited and day dreamed for days about a much needed relaxing time on the Beach. I will admit I don’t much like the Coast in the Summer for the high numbers of Backpackers. I also have never stayed 2 nights in one Camp since the 90’s. The chance to play in a Photographers Playground.

I for sure couldn’t pass up the chance. Seems like every square inch there is some form of Life happening.

Trail in is over 90% Board Walk made up of new, old and really old planks that have been in place for probably longer than I have been born. Figured this would be a perfect opportunity to to break in my Luna ATS Huaraches further.

Felt great to let the feet air out, perfect Sole Pattern and the Thickness still gave me ground feel. The lacing system is a great idea, but i feel that they can be tweaked just a bit to make an Epic Backpacking Tool.

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Elwha Lakebeds with the Klahhane Hiking Club

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By Bret Wirta-The Incidental Explorer

Distance: a couple of miles – Time out: 4 hours

Degree of Difficulty: 2 – Pet Friendly: No

April 11th 2012

Bret and Lake Mills waterfall

Bret and Lake Mills waterfall

I hiked with the Klahhane Hiking Club again, but instead of climbing up to a mountain pass we hiked down to dry lakebeds on the Elwha River. The reason the lakebeds are dry is because, here, in Olympic National Park, the largest dam removal project in the country is almost complete. The 108-foot tall Elwha dam has been completely removed and most of the 210-foot Glines Canyon Dam is gone. The result – the almost century-old reservoirs that flooded huge sections of the Elwha River Valley have drained away. Last year, my wife Trisha and I hosted some of the “Celebrate Elwha!” festivities that culminated in the dam removal ceremony on September 17th. Now, I wanted to see what progress was like.

First we visited the former Lake Mills. We reached the upper Lake Mills trailhead along the Whiskey Bend Road. The trail down to the river valley was a short half-mile but a steep 500 feet. Crushed stone had been shoveled onto the more muddy sections so the trail was easily passable. We heard the drumming of a grouse along the way. As I walked down toward the river, I considered what I’d find. Would there be the remains of water-logged fishing cabins or ramshackle tourist lodges that used to dot the Olympics before paved roads? My mind began to race. I dimly recalled a children’s story where a Chinese brother swallowed the sea so his companion could gather up all the treasure that l lay about. Like the storybook companion, would I find flopping fish and sunken ships?

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Griff Creek with the Klahhane Hiking Club

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By Bret Wirta-The Incidental Explorer

Distance: 6 miles round-trip – Time out: 5 hours

Degree of Difficulty: 2 – Pet Friendly: No

April 4th 2012

Griff Creek is a short trail but provides the hiker a wide variety of terrain and weather. It is a steep trail that gains around 3,000 feet of elevation in just three miles. The trailhead is located in back of the Elwha Ranger Station. There is a parking lot in the front next to the road. The Elwha Ranger station is located in the Elwha River Valley and so is only at about 350 feet in elevation. The station was built back in the 1930’s and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Trailhead is in back of the ranger station

Trailhead is in back of the ranger station

I was hiking with the Klahhane Hiking Club again. They are a hiking club organized back in 1915. It was my second hike with the group. To become a member I need to keep up with them on six hikes and then lead a hike on my own. For this hike up the Griff Creek Trail a half dozen of us started up though the mud, moss and ferns and in the shadows. After a mile or so the forest thins and mosses carpet the ground. Though the trees we glimpsed what was left of Lake Mills and the Glines Canyon Dam. We could see the crane that was dismantling the dam towering over the trees.

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