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.

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.

Many switchbacks later, at 1,875 feet we reached a pointed rock outcropping coated in moss and short grasses. The sun shone down upon us from a brilliant blue sky. I shed my outer layer of clothing. We ate a snack and looked down at the Elwha River valley far below. From here the trail traversed a dry rocky outcropping and the sun shone through the Madrona trees. The trail snaked back into the woods and patches of snow began to appear.

The snow quickly became deep enough so that walking in the frozen tracks of previous hikers was the only way to keep moving forward. I was glad I wore my gaiters, without them snow would have been falling into my boots. It was difficult going. As we trod through the snow, our group fell in with a gentleman named Charlie Miller. Charlie was hiking along at a steady pace. He said that he had hiked the Griff Creek Trail over 2,000 times! Before I could chat more about this incredible feat he was off. I hope to see Charlie Miller on the trail again.

Suddenly the trail ended. We reached a sign that said we stood at 3,300 feet. We found some dry ground and sat down to eat lunch. We ate and admired the snowy mountain peaks around us. Somebody identified the sharp triangular Unicorn Peak directly in front of us in the distance. As we ate, the blue sky was invaded by fast-moving black clouds. The temperature dropped rapidly. Soon Unicorn Peak was obscured and very fine snowflakes began to swirl around. We packed up quickly for home.

I enjoyed this strenuous but rewarding hike. As we descended I kept looking for Charlie Miller. I was pleased to meet an interesting person like Charlie on the trail. Reaching back to the first recorded expeditions and probably beyond, the Olympic Mountains have been the haunt of fascinating people; legendary sportsmen and dedicated naturalists, poets and dreamers, politicians and rapscallions. One larger than life character was writer, publisher and founder of the Klahhane Club, E. B. Webster. Recently a friend gave me a copy of one of Webster’s books, “The Friendly Mountain” published in 1921. In the book’s dedication, Webster quotes the Norwegian playwright Henrick Ibsen, “To Those Kindred Spirits who enjoy the upward trail, ‘towards the peaks, towards the stars, and toward the Great Silence’: Greeting!”

We need more Charlie Millers and more E. B. Websters hiking in the Olympics. The next time I join the Klahhane Club I’m going to recite Ibsen and see what happens.

To get to the Hurricane Ridge Visitors Center from the Quality Inn and Suites, Sequim:

• Head west on Highway 101 past Port Angeles – drive 24 miles.
• Turn left at Elwha River Entrance to Olympic National Park – drive 5 miles.
• The Elwha Ranger Station is on the left.
• Don’t forget that the entrance Fee to the Olympic National Park is $15.00 but a year-long pass is only $30.00.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, April 19th, 2012 at 7:22 pm and is filed under Audio/Video, Author, Bret Wirta, Bret Wirta, Hike Difficulty Rating, Season, Spring. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.