[Phil]

Left Seattle area 4:15 am, arrived at N Fork Skokomish trailhead 6:30am. N Fork Skok trail enjoyable as always, no concerns to bridge crossing to Six Ridge trailhead where I arrived at 8:15am. Spoke with who I think was Larry just before the bridge. Six Ridge trail quickly arrives at Seven Stream, which requires fording and is knee deep, cold, and swift. A nice campsite is available on the south side of seven stream. Best site I've seen on this trail, private, airy. Nearby the main site is an old elk kill. Someone has stacked the bones at the start of the Six Ridge switchbacks. The switchbacks up Six Ridge don't deserve such a warning, being of consistently moderate grade with just a few rock-root staircase sections. Snow increased as the ridge crest was reached, and was nearly constant as I neared to halfway point at 10:30am, maybe at 4000 ft elevation, about 1.5 km from Belview. Peek-a-boo views are available throughout this section, showing glimpses of seven ridge and the head of the skok valley to the north , the three sisters to the south, sawtooth range to the east. I turned around before reaching the open meadows near Bruin peak, being fed up with postholing and then man-holing through snow over the steep ups and downs of the ridge. Along the Six Ridge trail one can find artifacts suich as what I think are telegraph spools and wires on trees, blazes, and near the crest a large blaze on a tree with the remains of what appears to have been a large sign. On the way back down I explored briefly the west side the the N Fork Skok for evidence of the 1890 O'Neil trail between six ridge and Staircase station, and the more recent efforts of the boy scouts to mark the O'Neil Trail. Sure enough, within a few hundred yards of the Six Ridge trail on trees are pink flags and more permanent aluminum tags bearing "OT". I left further exploration of the west side for another day and headed back down the east side of the N Fork. At the Mt. Lincoln way trail junction, in the middle of the Beaver burn area, I left my pack and ran-walked for 45 minutes to see how far this trail progressed up Lincoln. Wood's guides suggest that this trail was obliterated in the '85 forest fire. Clearly not true. This trail has obviously been maintained since that time. It could use some clearing of blow-downs but what has fallen across the trail represents no significant delay to the hiker. A very nice hike in parts shaded by 20-yr old, 20' tall hemlock and fir, with massive silver and black firs, some living, some snags. I followed this trail for 45 minutes before turning back. At the height I gained were extraordinary views of the mountains to the south from Lightning to Tebo, then Wonder Mt and Six Ridge, as well as much of the Skok valley. This waytrail highly recommended for being so close to the trailhead and yet affording magnificent views. Back to the car and on the road by 5pm, a very satisfying day. I have pictures but haven't gottne around to shrinking and otherwise figuring out how to post them here. Another time, maybe.

[Larry]

Thanks for the wonderful report, Phil. I'm impressed that you got almost to Camp Belview. Wow. Have you been there in the summer? Thanks for the nice compilation of a great trip.

[Phil]

[seattlechronic]

Is this the Larry I know....I was up at big Log Mon and Tues...So nice..had the Place to ourselves...Got some great photos...Heres one from Madeline creek..

Eric