Hiked up Barnes Creek near Lake Crescent to Dismal Draw camp. 8 miles and 1,400 feet elevation gain.
I wanted to check out the campsite at Dismal Draw to see if it would be a good place to camp on my way to hike to the top of Happy Lake Ridge. In Robert Woods' guide book, he mentions a camp here with water, so I thought I'd check it out.
Left home at 6:30 am, got to the trailhead at Storm King Ranger Station and started hiking by 8:45. Still pretty cool under the big trees and not too many hikers on the Marymere Falls trail.
The creek is quite lovely in the lower reaches.
The trail goes up and down as it avoids several cliffs next to the creek. I found myself getting tired on the uphill sections. It was a warm day and the heat seemed to sap my energy.
Made it to the Dismal Draw Camp at 10:45 and took a break. It's not really dismal, in fact it seemed kind of peaceful and quiet. Nice little brook nearby.
Continued up the trail past the junction that leads to the Aurora Ridge Trail.
Turned back after a particularly good viewpoint looking out over Barnes Creek and Storm King Mountain. Had lunch at the campsite and took a good 15-minute nap. Started down at 12:45
On the way up, my left ankle was giving me trouble. Because I'm favoring my left big toe, there's additional stress on my ankle. Made it to the car at 2:35 and started home. Got a coffee at Starbucks in Sequim and made it home by 5:00.
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