In short, this techno-geek is flying the coop. Goodbye road running. Hellloo trail running. (where have you been all my life?)
Where am I going?
The Olympics.
Where?
Well, not Greece, unfortunately. I couldn't get the time off from work, and transatlantic flights are hideously expensive. This was the next best thing.
Olympic National Park is a 922,650 acre park that sits within the Olympic peninsula of the state of Washington. There aren't any roads that traverse the interior. The best you can do is drive around the perimeter and find a stub that probes a few miles inward. After that, you're on your own in the exploration department.
Me? I have my eyes set on the trails of the southwestern corner of the region. Taking highway 101 into the interior past Lake Quinault, there's a campsite that provides access to trails that follow the east and north forks of the Quinault river upstream. The campground is named Graves Creek. That'll be home for the weekend. (I'm purposely not searching Google for the backstory behind the name. If you do, don't tell me. I like surprises.)
On Friday, I'll be tackling an out-and-back from North Fork campground to Kimta Peak (elevation 5399 ft.). Saturday, a lower-altitude trail run along the North Fork Quinault River to Low Divide. Sunday, if I'm still able to walk, I'll close out the trip with another out-and-back along the East Fork Quinault River to Enchanted Valley.
What's better, I'll be bringing my DSLR with me so you can feast your eyes on the broad swaths of cloudy nothingness that NOAA is predicting. It's Washington... and November... so I guess I shouldn't complain.
If the bears get me, make sure you grab the GPS track from my watch. I'd like it to be immortalized in some way. Maybe on a new brand of bear repellent or... perhaps... a map for directionally challenged hikers... but I don't want to ask too much.
And just so we're clear, if I get lost, there's no obligation to send in a rescue party. I mean, it would be nice and all, but I don't like twisting arms. Hikers gotta hike, bears gotta eat. However, if you need some exercise and happen to be in the area, keep an eye out for signal flares.
Until next time,
- Daniel
Sounds like you'll have an exciting weekend :) I'm kind of jealous.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to pictures!
You're going alone? Tsk.
ReplyDeleteI visited the Olympic range, coming in from the Port Angeles side. Very impressive, and beautiful backpacking country (at least in the summer).
Have fun!
Ah, nice. Did you hike the Hurricane Ridge trail at all?
ReplyDeleteI was told, in dealing with bears, to make sure I was with someone slower than me. That way, if there was a problem, that person would get gotten first, and I presumably would get away while the bear was occupied...
ReplyDelete...and all the time I thought hiking with friends was for companionship and boosted morale, when it's really a ploy to make sure the wildlife is well fed. Dastardly.
ReplyDeleteDaniel, I realize there's a big reason I shouldn't ever accept an invitation to run or hike in the backwoods with you. ;) It's not safe for me. I'm sure you can run faster and longer than I can. If you want me to hike with you, you will have to buy me an anti-bear bazooka. ;) Or pepper spray. :) Or a jet pack. :D
ReplyDelete