Hiked up over Wynoochee Pass, down to Graves Creek, then up to Sundown Lake. Returned the same way.
Wrapped up things early at work on Thursday afternoon and left directly at 4:00 pm. Drove through Shelton, then continued west on County roads which gradually got smaller and rougher. Ended up on a gravel road with a rough surface, wondering, why did Google tell me to go this way? But after a short ways it intersected with the smooth asphalt highway up the Wynoochee River from Montesano.
Drove up to the Wynoochee Dam and took a side road to check out the Forest Service campground (full) and the dam. Continued on the road up the river which turned into gravel. I kept looking for a camping spot on the side of the road, but every available pullout was crammed with campers. Finally at Wynoochee Falls I found a wide place in the road and set up my tent on the gravel. Not the best place, but it sufficed.
Made dinner (canned stew heated up on the Coleman stove) and walked down to the falls. Pretty.
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| Wynoochee Falls |
I was up about 6:15, made breakfast and packed up. Drove to the trailhead on rather rough logging roads and started hiking by 8:00. The trailhead is on an old logging road on a steep hillside. When I looked back at the lower Wynoochee valley, I could see the fog laying in the valley, but it was sunny at the trailhead.
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| The Wynoochee Valley in the morning |
The trail started with a half mile on the logging road, then plunged into old growth forest. It was a lovely trail, sidehilling around to the left, gradually climbing. It felt good to be hiking with fresh legs and comfortable feet. The trail crossed a few streams, then turned to the east as it climbed up to the pass, Somewhere in there the clouds covered everything and it became foggy and damp. When I reached the pass at 10:00, the brush was soaked and I was wet from the waist down.
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| Tarn at Wynoochee Pass |
There was a couple of tarns at the top of the pass with some pretty pink flowers I wasn't familiar with. Started down the other side with a bg switchback and along traverse down to the creek. I was thikning, maybe I should just turn around at the creek. Won't be able to see much at the lake anyway. But I met a hiker just coming up from the creek. He said he'd come from Sundown Lake. "You ought to go see it," he said. "It's not that far." So I decided I might do that.
Took a break at the creek at 11:00, then I decided I would hike until noon and decide whether I would go to the lake or not. It was gloomy and dark in the big timber, with fog on the hillside. By noon I was near the top of the switchbacks to the lake, so I decided to keep going. It was a steep climb up to the lake, then it leveled out as the trail traversed over to the intersection with the South Fork Skokomish trail.
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| Fog near Sundown Lake |
A little bit further, and I came to the lake, although I couldn't see it at first. The fog was laying right on the water, and it all looked the same.
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| Sundown Lake |
Sat down and ate lunch, but it was too cold for a long break so I started back after about 15 minutes. Went down the switchbacks and arrived at Graves Creek at1:30. By this time I was getting a little tired. Climbed back up the trail to Wynoochee Pass, took a break, then hiked slowly down the trail to the car. I was tired and my feet hurt.
Arrived at the car at 4:30 pm with the clouds clearing away and a nice view from the logging road.
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