Olympic Coast - South

22 miles were shaved off of the 200 mile goal this past weekend with a trip down to Oil City, Washington and the Olympic Coast. Many, many pics were taken, deleted, edited, and then finally selected for your viewing pleasure in two sections: Part One and Part Two.

Right off the bat, I knew things were going to work out perfectly for Pat, Jayson, and I. First off, even though my alarm never went off, I woke up right at 5:45am, just as Jayson and Pat arrived - both at the same time. Racing the clock, we made it to the ferry just as it was about to pull out. So far, so good. Getting into Port Angeles, the ranger informed us that we only had a bit of time left before the tide made the trip impassable for the day - we booked it over and quite literally crossed the Diamond Rock point just as the tide was starting to crash into shore. And so on the weekend went - everything just worked out perfectly: from the skies clearing in the olympics on a day when Seattle itself was deluged by rain, to arriving at camp just in time for the perfect sunset, and finally to catching the very last ferry of the night out of Bainbridge to make it back to Seattle.

This hike was a 22 mile out and back trip from Oil City to Toleak Point. Most people tend to stick with Third Beach to Toleak, so it was the first portion of this hike (Oil City to Mosquito Creek) that presented the most difficult challenges. Tide was mid-level by the time we hit Diamond Point. Easy to navigate at low tide, but a good way to get your heart rate up at mid-tide. I made it through dry, but Jayson caught a good wave and ended up with wet boots for the remainder of the hike. Slippery boulders and logs for the first two miles, trekking poles are mandatory if you don't want to take a dive.

Once past Diamond Point, its a nice beach hike until you reach the first set of rope-ladders. The rains have taken its toll, so the lower 4 rungs are damaged, making it a challenge to ascend. I'd bring gloves, as the ropes were fairly wet and muddy. The overland route was filled with blowdowns, I stopped counting after going up, under, and around 15 trees. Mud is also fairly thick here, so gaiters are recommended as well.

There is a section about two miles prior to Mosquito Creek where the cliff is pulling away. Up to 3 feet's worth of tree roots were exposed and we had to be very careful as gaps up to 4 feet deep presented themselves mid-trail. Its only a matter of time before the entire section is completely wiped away

Once you ford Mosquito creek, the trail is fairly well maintained with the only questionable section being the ascent up Hoh Head, which is very muddy and with no apparent trail. The remaining rope ladders are usable. The campgrounds at Toleak are in pristine condition and we spotted many eagles flying overhead.

The second half featured pristine sand beaches, tremendous wildlife (eagles, otters, sea lions, and bear tracks).

One last point - due to the many blowdowns and generally poor condition of the trail from Oil City to Mosquito Creek, I can't recommend this to anyone who doesn't have a good amount of hiking experience. Even with the three of us (all life long hikers), it took about 10 hours to hike 11 miles. It was certainly an adventure, but a little too technical for novices (on the other hand racing tides, climbing ladders, fording rivers, and jumping boulders is my idea of a perfect hike). Stick with the Third Beach route if you are looking for an easier hike. Also, there are some websites which list this trail as not needing a pass. This is not true. You must register and pick up a bear cannister. These can be found at the Hurricane Ridge ranger station in Port Angeles.

It was a great weekend to spend among good friends. Can't wait for the next!

Comments

[Jayson]

Great pictures as usualy Jacob!

[John]

Looks like a great trip! Nice photos too!