SIOUXON CREEK

FEBRUARY 2017

NEAR THE TRAILHEAD

CHINOOK FALLS

HORSESHOE CREEK FALLS

HORSESHOE CREEK FALLS

HORSESHOE CREEK FALLS

SIOUXON CREEK NEAR SIOUXON FALLS

SIOUXON CREEK

SIOUXON FALLS

WILDCAT FALLS

Siouxon Creek is a beautiful 9.8 mile round-trip hike located about half-way in-between the Columbia River Gorge and Mount Saint Helens. This hike was just barely accessible when I attempted it over Presidents Day weekend in February of 2017. As you approach the trailhead, the road turns to gravel and drops steeply down towards Siouxon Creek. I must have been one of the first people to access this hike that year, as there were several large trees fallen across the road. Near the start of the gravel road, a large tree had fallen across the roadway leaving a clearance of only about 5' on one side of the road. Luckily I was driving a Toyota Corolla and was just able to squeeze under the tree. Any car over about 5' tall wasn't able to proceed past this point. 

Portions of the roadway were covered in snow and ice, and another tree had fallen across the road leaving only about 6' or 7' of width to pass around at one point. It was one of those rare occasions where the road was so rough, only tiny cars were able to access the trailhead (on my way out I saw an SUV that unable to make it under the first  fallen tree). Eventually another fallen tree completely blocked the road to travel, but as I was only about 2 miles from the trailhead I decided to go ahead and hike it, making for about a 14-mile roundtip hike. I'm glad I did as this trail really impressed me.    

The trail drops down to Siouxon Creek and follows it along through some very lush forest until reaching Horseshoe Creek Falls and then Siouxon Falls, which were both running very high. A little past Siouxon Falls, the trail became covered in snow, which was a couple feet deep in places. This slowed me down, but I was still able to follow the trail, so I continued on to Chinook and Wildcat Falls. There was a creek crossing between Siouxon and Chinook Falls that was a bit rough due to the snow and high water, but this would probably not be a problem later in the year. The benefit to hiking this trail in February was that I had it entirely to myself, and was able to see falls running at a high capacity. However, if I were to do it again, I would wait until a little later in the year to hike it.   

OZETTE BEACH

FEBRUARY 2017

OZETTE BEACH

OZETTE BEACH PETROGLYPHS

OZETTE BEACH PETROGLYPHS

OZETTE BEACH

Ozette Beach is a beautiful hike through lush rainforest to a beach containing sea stacks and petroglyphs. It is 3.4 miles from the trailhead to Cape Alva, and most people will continue down the beach to Sand Point and return to the trailhead via an alternate trail for a 9.5 mile round-trip hike. This was my plan, however, on my way from Cape Alva to Sand Point I missed the petroglyphs and decided to go back to find them. By the time I found the petroglyphs, it was getting late and I decided it would be best to return the way I came. 

The petroglyphs are carved into a group of boulders along the beach. If I remember correctly, the petroglyph area was marked with a sign along the beach containing an orange circle. Not realizing what the orange circle signified, I walked right past it the first time. If you want to see all of the petroglyphs, you will need to visit during low tide. I didn't realize this until after I had visited, so I was only able to see about half of them. I will have to go back sometime. The trail to the beach is very enjoyable as it is through a dense rainforest, and due to the amount of moisture the area receives, a wood walkway had been constructed over much of it. 

Due to my late start, the extra time it took to find the petroglyphs and the denseness of the forest, I ended up having to run the last couple miles back to the trailhead in order to beat the darkness. I remember I could barely see the trail by the end. Ozette Beach is a very popular hike, and I was a bit surprised by the amount of people hiking it in February. However, as it is typically done as a 9.5 mile loop hike that includes several miles of beach, everyone gets spread out pretty well.  

    

SHI SHI BEACH

FEBRUARY 2017

A SEA STACK FROM THE TRAIL

SHI SHI BEACH

SEA STACK ON SHI SHI BEACH

POINT OF ARCHES

Shi Shi Beach and Point of Arches is a pleasant 8 mile round-trip hike located within Olympic National Park that begins within a coastal rainforest and ends on a beach with sea stacks and arches. The trail down to the beach is very swampy, and there were large puddles of water covering much of it while I was there. There were side trails created by hikers just off the main trail that helped in some spots, but it was impossible to get all the way down the trail without stepping in some big mud puddles. 

The final drop from the trail to the beach is a little steep, and some ropes had been placed along the way to assist with the slippery descent and ascent. Just after you arrive at the beach, you will see some sea stacks to you right. In order to get to Point of the Arches you will travel about two miles down the beach to your left, which will require wading through one knee-deep creek along the way. Point of the Arches was fun place to explore as the stacks and arches jut out several hundred feet into the ocean, and contained many tide pools.

   

MARYMERE FALLS

FEBRUARY 2017

MARYMERE FALLS

TRAIL TO MARYMERE FALLS

Marymere Falls is a nice, easy 1.8 mile round-trip hike through a mossy forest to a waterfall. The trail is very peaceful, as it starts near the shores of Lake Crescent and follows close to a stream before arriving at the falls. After reaching the base of the waterfall, there will be a loop trail climbing up the side of the falls to give you a better view.  

HOH RIVER

FEBRUARY 2017

HALL OF MOSSES

HOH RIVER TRAIL

HOH RIVER

HALL OF MOSSES

The Hoh River Trail is a popular walk through the rain forest in Olympic National Park that goes for 17.4 miles. As I only had a few hours to spend in the area,  I only made it  about two miles up the main trail. However, I also threw in the 0.8-mile Hall of Mosses Loop and 1.2-mile Spruce Nature Trail Loop along the way. I was a little surprised by the number of hikers I saw here in February. I had come in the winter to avoid the large crowds, but apparently the Hoh River Trail is popular enough to stay well-used year-round. 

This area was amazing, though I remember thinking that it probably looks even better in the Spring or Summer when there is even more greenery. I also remember not being as impressed with this trail as I should have been because it was my last stop in Olympic National Park after several previous days hiking the area. After hiking other rain forest trails that ended at waterfalls or beaches, this one was a bit of a let down. It was also the most crowded trail I had hiked on. The two loop trails at the beginning were cool, but I got a little bored on the main trail. There were some side trails leading down to some nice views of the Hoh River, but there were no real destination points. However, I'm sure if I started my trip to Olympic National Park with this hike I would have been blown away. I guess you just get used to the scenery after a few days. 

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