Dosewallips River hike

I planned to hike to the Dosewallips Ranger Station for an early season hike. There used to be a gravel road all the way to the ranger station, but the road washed out in 2003, making it only a foot trail on the old road bed. The weather forecast called for rain in the afternoon, but I decided to go anyway and I was lucky. It was overcast the whole day, but no rain.

My plan was to hike a couple of hours, then turn around. But when I got to the park boundary and the sign said only 1.2 miles to the campground, I decided to go all the way. I hiked 13.5 miles in total with 1,100 feet elevation gain. Pretty good for early in the season.

 

The approach from the parking area is now a mile longer than it used to be because the Forest Service blocked the entrance road at a small slide. This isn't all bad, because the first mile is a pleasant stroll along a flat trail. The main road washout a mile in is easier to get around now, and I had no trouble. (The last time I hiked this trail was in 2014).

The old road makes a good surface for the first major hike of the year. The fine gravel surface and steady incline makes it easy to stride along.

 I left home at 7:45 and started hiking at 9:15. I explored Elkhorn Campground located at mile 1.5, and found it's a delightful area along the river with many fine campsites. It would make for an easy overnight someday. From the campground, the road leads steadily upward, and once I got my stride, the miles seemed to fly by. My legs felt fine and I took only one or two breaks.

When I got to the falls, the canyon was filled with the sound of rushing water from melting snowpack up higher. The amount of water crashing down the rocks is stunning. Took a few photos to capture the magnificent volume. From there it was an easy stroll to the campground, although by this time my legs were getting tired. 

I hiked up to the old ranger station to find that it has deteriorated a lot since I was last here. A couple of trees have fallen, shearing off parts of the porch roof. An man in his sixties launched into a long description of the place. He said he's come to this campground since he was a boy, and he often makes the hike once a week. Lots of lore about the place.

Ate lunch at a picnic table by the river and started down. My legs were complaining and my left big toe hurt on the downhill sections. Probably I should have cut this hike a bit shorter, but I just kept trundling along and got back to the car by 3:15. A good day!