Stewardship - Church Creek–Satsop Lakes

Participants can carpool, meeting at 8:00 am at Haggen's, West Olympia, or , if coming from the north, at the fish hatchery parking lot on Skokomish Valley Road near US 101.  Driving distance is about 25 miles from Haggens to the fish hatchery, and about another 25 miles from there to the trailhead at the end of Forest Road 2361-600.  Details will be emailed to registered participants a few days before hike.   No fee or parking pass required at this trailhead.  For info on good carpooling practices and how to contact other participants for carpooling, please see this Mountaineers article on "Carpooling and Mountaineers Activities/Courses": https://www.mountaineers.org/blog/how-to-opt-in-for-carpooling

This trail connects the Skokomish and the Wynoochee watersheds.  We will be hiking from the east, or Skokomish, end, starting at 1,870' elevation.  It's about two miles to the top of the divide, with about 1,380' elevation gain.  The lower part of the trail consists of switchbacks through stands of huge firs and cedars, and passes by many remnants of past trail work on fallen giants. The middle part of the trail passes through open areas with berries and wildflowers in season, and then a small alpine meadow by a dramatic rock face.  It continues from there on switchbacks through forest, where our likely work sites are located, to the top of the divide.  We are not planning on doing trail work on this trip, but will bring some tools and personal protective equipment in case we need it to make our way through.  We will be stopping several times to examine, assess, discuss plans and take measurements, notes and photos.  If you are looking for a faster and steadier pace, this is not the hike you are looking for.  We will not be splitting the party to accommodate faster hikers.

This trail has a marvelous series of switchbacks which ascend a steep ridge at a manageable grade, obviously the product of much thought in design and much skill and labor in construction.  Many of the trees are towering and magnificent, truly a cathedral of the forest.  The topography is rugged, with the trail overlooking near-vertical drops into the Church Creek gorge.  The several times I have hiked it from the east side, I saw no other vehicle in the trailhead parking lot, and no hikers other than my party.  Some trails beloved and used by many should be maintained for John Stuart Mills utilitarian "greatest good for the greatest number" reasons. Other trails, like this one, should be kept open as temples of nature, where one may worship in splendor and in solitude.

The trailhead is about 15 miles past the end of cell phone coverage, and it is pretty remote and isolated.  If you have an In-Reach or other pocket-sized satellite communications device, bring it.  Three miles of approach on Forest Road 23 are badly potholed.  The trailhead is at the end of Forest Road 2361-600, a spur road.  The spur is about two miles long and has 28 water bars which require good ground clearance and some maneuvering.   An SUV, truck or other vehicle with at least 6.5 inches of ground clearance is recommended. 

We should be back at Haggens by 4:00 pm.

CAUTION:  There is an active nest of ground bees or yellow jackets next to this trail.  If you are allergic, bring your epi-pen.  Please let one of the leaders know if you have an insect sting or other potentially serious allergy or a medical condition which might become an issue during the trip.  If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact either of the leaders, Mike Forsyth at <adktripper@earthlink.net>, or Regina Robinson at <Eblastolympiamountaineers@hotmail.com>.