Tag: Bridge

North Fork Skokomish Fire Before and After (3)


The Olympic National Park opened up the Staircase Rapids Loop Trail on July 8th for the first time since the fire in 2025 devastated the area. The valley of the North Fork Skokomish was one of my favorite locations and I went to take photos of the area on the 8th. Each set of photos shows the same location before and after. Some images aren’t exact matches … but I did as well as I could with the images I had. The Staircase Loop Trail leaves from the Staircase Ranger Station, runs 1 mile (1.6 KM), crosses the river (on a bridge that was protected from the fire) and returns back to the parking lot.

Staircase Loop Bridge Before

In order to save the bridge, the Park wrapped the bridge in fire protective material. The bridges further up the valley were mostly all lost to the fire. It will be years before they are all replaced.

Staircase Loop Trail Bridge After
Upriver View From the Middle of the Staircase Loop Trail Bridge Before
Upriver View From the Middle of the Staircase Loop Trail Bridge After
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North Fork Skokomish Fire Before and After (1)

The Olympic National Park opened up the Staircase Rapids Loop Trail on July 8th for the first time since the fire in 2025 devastated the area. The valley of the North Fork Skokomish was one of my favorite locations and I went to take photos of the area on the 8th. Each set of photos shows the same location before and after. Some images aren’t exact matches … but I did as well as I could with the images I had. The Staircase Loop Trail leaves from the Staircase Ranger Station, runs 1 mile (1.6 KM), crosses the river (on a bridge that was protected from the fire) and returns back to the parking lot.

The first set is from an overlook close to the trailhead (but slightly off the trail).

Up River View Before
Up River View After

The second set is of the Slate Creek crossing. The wood single stringer bridge is completely gone.

Slate Creek with Bridge (before)
Slate Creek Crossing with No Bridge

(Note the woman on the left for scale)

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Bridges: Open or Closed?

Bridge Opening For Navy Ship

One of the facts of life living on the north half of the Olympic Peninsula is that access to and from major population centers (think shopping and medical appointments) relies on crossing the Hood Canal bridge. In the case of Navy vessels (both submarines and support ships going to/from the Bangor Naval Base (think Trident Nuclear Submarines). Depending on the time of day, the delay can be easily close to an hour. And longer delays are possible during stormy weather, when the bridge is opened to minimize the strain of water being pushed against the span. Then the roadway is closed until the weather moderates.

But my question is: when do you call the bridge “open” and when do you call it “closed”? To me, when the bridge is open, the roadway is closed. But I’ve had conversations with people who say the bridge is closed … meaning that it is open for highway traffic … and other conversations where “the bridge is open”, meaning that it is open for highway traffic. Having grown up in Seattle, with its numerous draw bridges, I’m used to the perspective that when a bridge is open, it is open for boat traffic.

Are you mixed up yet?

Unexpected Delay
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Upstream – Downstream

Upstream from the Bridge at Six Stream

These two photos are taken from the middle of the bridge across the North Fork Skokomish at Six Stream, which comes into the North Fork just south of the bridge. The bridge is just about 6 miles up the North Fork Skokomish trail …

The Six Ridge trailhead is just at the upper end of the bridge … and that trail is one of the most rugged, least traveled and least maintained in the Olympic National Park. One that I have contemplated hiking in the past, but never got around to. (that’s what happens when you have a full time job)

Downstream from the Bridge at Six Stream
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Madeline Creek

Madeline Creek

Madeline Creek is a tributary of the North Fork Skokomish river in the Olympic National Park. It’s pretty typical of small creeks in this area… clogged with logs and such. The shadows and hiding areas provided by the logs and such are great for providing hiding areas for small fish and other water critters.

Also notice the ferns growing on the face of the rock on the right stream bank. That’s also typical of the area.

I took this from a nice bridge only a couple years old … and only one tree had crashed into it, so far. (see below)

Madeline Creek Bridge
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