Friday, June 24, 2022 - 12.6 miles and 2,000 feet elevation gain
I left the house at 6:30 am and started hiking at the trailhead at 8:45. It was a beautiful day for hiking -- cool and clear all day. The air felt cold as I headed up the Dungeness River trail, but I warmed up as I strode along. It felt good to be hiking.
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| The big firs on the lower trail |
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| Footbridge over the Dungeness River |
I got to Royal Creek in twenty minutes and I arrived at the footbridge at 9:45, exactly one hour. Took a ten minute break and met a photographer coming down the trail. He was hoping to photograph the rhododendron blossoms, but they were still in tight little buds.
Hiked past Camp Handy and started into the steep section of the trail. I felt surprisingly strong and took very few breaks. When I got tired, I just slowed my pace a little. Took a break after another hour. The last mile and a half to Boulder Shelter always seems to take forever because there are no landmarks.
Finally I reached some good views across the valley and not long after that I emerged into the meadows at Boulder Shelter.
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| The boulders at Boulder Shelter |
I leaned my back against a small boulder and enjoyed a leisurely lunch of peanut butter and crackers, raisins and cheese, chocolate, and an orange. Drifted off into a nice nap in the warm sun.
I woke up at the sound of hiker's voices and decided to pack up and leave. I made my way back down the trail at a leisurely pace, daydreaming as I went. The miles seemed to fly by, and I got to the trailhead at 4:15. Stopped at Camp Handy for a break on the way back.
I was really pleased to find that I'm in pretty good shape. My left big toe, which has bothered me in the past, gave me no trouble at all.
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