Madeline Rose: Dudes' Backpacking Trip: Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park: Hoh River to Third Beach

Backpackers on this year's trek: Steve, Brendan, Jason, Joe, Andy, Jeff.

Excerpts from:Backpacker

Here is the description of the hike:

Is it a hike or an Army obstacle course? Both, actually, which you’ll find out as you negotiate ladders and ropes through upland rainforest and rocky beach on this 16.1-mile trek.

At the Oil City trailhead, take the South Coast Trail along the river. Two rights lead to the coast; cruise past a bleached driftwood graveyard to Jefferson Cove. (Note: Cross the area at tides lower than two feet; get charts at the ranger station.) Head inland near a small waterfall) and scale a 60-foot cliff on two fixed ropes. The 3.5-mile upland trail winds through a high-canopy forest, and begins a roller-coaster section up log steps and down into the mossy forest. Take the boardwalk over the marshy area to Mosquito Creek and camp on a bluff overlooking the Pacific.

Next morning, don your sandals and ford Mosquito Creek at its mouth. Walk the beach north for two miles past sea stacks ). At low tide, hike on the beach to the left side of the rocky sea stack. At high tide, clamber over driftwood on the right. Turn inland at bull’s eye marker, head up a hillside, and hike through a leafy trellis of salal, salmonberry (edible but bland), thimbleberry (rich and juicy), and devil’s club.

Stay straight to ford 20-foot-wide Goodman Creek, and re-enter the woods; pass massive red cedars to Falls Creek’s low cascade. Descend a 30-foot trail ladder and head north to Toleak Point, watching for bald eagles. Traverse a rocky stretch, and head past Giants’ Graveyard, a cluster of sea stacks and pinnacles.

Ford Scott Creek and traverse a forested hillside (use trail ropes, if needed) to the beach. At the bull’s eye trail marker, climb 90 steps into the forest. After 14.2 miles, descend to Third Beach on stairs and ladders and pick up the dirt path to Third Beach parking area and your shuttle.

It was mostly a great trip, however Steve lost his sleeping bag somewhere along the trail and spent a couple of very cold nights in his tent. His friends lent him warm clothes and jackets but without a sleeping bag it was still pretty chilly. The views were spectacular, the trek a challenge and the camaraderie great as always.