[Joe]

I hiked the Bogachiel River trail to the junction with the Little Divide (Mink Lake). I camped the first night at Flapjack camp, then 2 nights at 21 mile shelter camp and the final night back at Flapjack camp. I saw 5 people the whole trip. The lower and upper sections of the trail are in reasonable shape, the middle section is a bit rough. Trip Stats: 51.4 miles with 6595 feet gain. 5/27 – Trailhead to Flapjack camp. 10.3 miles with 645 feet elevation gain. This section of the trail is in pretty good shape. At about 3 miles, the river has washed out a section of trail, so the trail climbs and descends steeply getting over the obstacle. The route starts with a rope assist to get you up (or down) the initial steep bank. The final 2.5 miles to Flapjack camp are a bit rough and muddy. The trail around Flapjack has numerous blowdowns across the trail.

Bogachiel river

sign at park boundary

broken egg shell

Yellow flower

rope assist section

Bogachiel River trail

Flapjack camp

5/28 – Flapjack camp to 21 mile shelter camp. 11.1 miles with 2120 feet elevation gain. About a 1/4 mile from Flapjack there is a huge tree, close to 6 feet in diameter, blocking the trail. I tired two different routes around the tree, one on the way in and a different route on the way out, neither was very fun. The trail to 15 mile shelter is in reasonable shape. From 15 mile shelter to 21 mile shelter the trail is overgrown, narrow tread (mostly moss and grass tread), muddy, rocky, rooty and lots of old puncheon. The trail disappears in the meadows around Hyak shelter.

other view of large windfall

Large windfall across trail, about 6 foot diameter tree

15 mile shelter

Bridge over North Fork Bogachiel

Coltsfoot

Hyak Shelter

Trillium turning purple

Old puncheon section

Ferns

Canadian Dogwood

remains of 21 mile shelter

21 Mile Shelter camp

5/29 – Day hike to junction with Little Divide junction. 8.6 miles with 2730 feet gain. Since I had a lot of time for a layover day hike to Little Divide junction, I decided to do some trail maintenance on this section. It took 4 hours to hike the 4.3 miles to the junction as I removed most of the branches and rotted tree sections from the trail. As the trail tops the ridge, before descending to the Little Divide junction, you have good views to the north and Mount Olympus to the south.

new puncheon section

arrow marks the way

View of Mount Olypmus

Junction at Little Divide

5/30 – 21 mile shelter camp to Flapjack Camp. 11.1 miles with 495 feet gain.

Bogachiel River

Old Flapjack camp sign

Bear bagging tree at flapjack camp

Bogachiel River at Flapjack camp

5/31 – Flapjack camp to trailhead. 10.3 miles with 605 feet gain.

Bogachiel River trail

Bogachiel River trail

Bogachiel River route

[Ski]

very cool. please do us the favor of posting the shelter photos in the Olympic Trail Shelter thread as well. (that third one looks like it needs a bit of repair work.) gotta love the 6-foot blowdowns over the trail!

[Stonefly]

Absolutely gorgeous, I've always wanted to walk up the Bogachiel. Thanks so much for posting!

[bobbi]

I totally forgot to read your TR for this trail. our nwhikers lurkers are talking about doing this hike and I remembered, hey, Joe did it and we even met for lunch on your way back through port angeles!! it'll be 3 years soon, and hopefully the trail is still in good enough condition. thanks!

[RodF]

Bobbi, thanks for reminding us all of Joe's and Sir-Hikes-A-Lot's super TRs on the Bogachiel Trail! Good news: Backcountry Horsemen of Washington's Mt. Olympus Chapter has received support its volunteer work on the Bogachiel Trail through a small part of BCHW's grant from the state Recreation and Conservation Office Recreational Trails Program. BCHW might also seek an additional mini-grant to facilitate further volunteer trail and road work, including establishing safe tread and gravelling muddy sections, in 2019. The USFS announced a full two years ago that “With the help of partners, we expect to have the trail rerouted soon" and we're now told USFS may finally be prepared to approve this work so it might begin in 2018. It's About Time Already! All this was delayed, in part, by damage to Undi Road, which is the sole access to the trailhead. Jefferson County did a exemplary job facilitating this work, most of which was actually within Clallam County. It's admirable that although Jefferson County "had no assurance that any federal assistance would be provided and had to make the difficult financial choice to commit over $1 million dollars to this project", they went ahead without delay and without even any offer of cooperative risk-sharing from Clallam County. All Bogachiel hikers owe a debt of gratitude to Monte Reinders of Jeffco public works for his leadership, indeed championship, of this project. This is such a stark contrast to the delays and inaction of Federal officials (Elwha Olympic Hot Springs Road, Dosewallips Road, Bogi trail re-routes, Park way trails, etc., etc...) that we can only pray they might find inspiration in Mr. Reinders' example, as well.

[puzzlr]

Good for them. Thanks for letting us know.