Tag: Forest

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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Mountain View Through Fall Colors

Mountain View Through Fall Colors

The mountain in the distance is a part of the Mt Jupiter ridge (but not the summit), which runs between the Dosewallips and Duckabush rivers in the Olympic Mountains. I was hiking up the Dosewallips when I caught this opening through the trees giving a view of the high country. The higher ridges were already showing some signs of snowfall.

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Subalpine Forest Path

Subalpine Forest Path

This image is another taken from the area around Deer Park in Olympic National Park. The campground is at about 5400 feet (1646 meters), so you can enjoy the high country without having to backpack up to it … although the road is narrow, winding and unpaved. You can see the area that was burned a few years earlier. Fortunately, the campground was protected and not damaged by the fire. The ‘skirts’ about the base of the trees are distinctive.

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The Elwha River: Free at Last

Where Lake Mills used to be

The removal of the Elwha Dams drained Lake Mills. One of the concerns was with the huge amount of sediment that had been trapped behind the dams and the impact that would have on the ecology downstream. A lot of careful planning has resulted in a rapid recovery … salmon and steelhead trout have already returned to the river. Not in the huge numbers that once were present … but quicker than many thought likely.

From the photos below (less than a mile below the upper dam), you can see that the river is now running clean and clear.

Downriver from the bridge on the Olympic Hot Springs Road.
Upriver from the bridge on the Olympic Hot Springs Road.
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Biking up the Dose

The Dosewallips Car Camp

Recently my friend Gary and I rode our eBikes up the Dosewallips Road past the washouts and up to the Dosewallips Campground … a distance of about 6.5 miles (each way). We had great weather and were just doing a day trip … although regular readers may note that another friend and I have made several trips up the road backpacking.

I carried my camera and the day was a great success, based on how much fun we had. During the bouncy ride, I lost my lens cap, but that’s why they sell extras, isn’t it?

Dosewallips Rapids/Falls
The Dosewallips Road (above the washout)
Un-named stream with a small falls
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