Timmie and I decided to head out and check out the Grey Wolf River that we never got to finish last year due to some pretty incredible blow downs. Someone has been out there doing lots of work on this trail and my thanks to all who put in that effort.
Got to the TH around 7:30 and sat peering out the car window trying with our will of minds to make it stop hailing.
01 - An ominous start to the day. Somewhere a child is missing its shoe. Or is this shoe, missing a child ...
02 - Signing in ... and no that is not snow. It's HAIL !
03 - Still not snow ... still HAIL !
04 - Craig gripes ... God throws more hail at him.
05 - Well, at least it's getting lighter.
After about an hour, we descended into the river valley
11 - Finally into the woods and out of the precip.
14 - The famous big stump with the new bridge.
16 - Timmies idea of poison oak. Also known as trillium.
Next up was 2 mile camp. Just like we remember it but we got there way faster this time than last time.
18 - Ahhhh ... 2 mile camp.
19 - Time for breakfast
20 - I love the river
21 - River shot from 2 mile camp
From 2 mile camp we were in new territory. I thought from here on out was the better part of the hike.
23 - There's no way this is natural
24 - There ... that's better !
25 - Heading into the forest of very straight trees
26 - Timmie doing a little trail clearing.
27 - In the forest of very straight trees, there were some exceptions.
28 - Forest of very straight trees
30 - What makes a tree bend like that ?
I saw a huge spruce in the distance that was bending was over and thought it'd be cool to stand under it. So we did a little bushwhacking so I could go stand under it.
31 - Base of huge spruce that curves right over your head.
Timmie says this widow maker was the size of a small tree. I said it was just a big limb. Does it really matter though ?
33 - Widow maker just hanging there ready to do its job.
Continuing on the trail ...
34 - Interesting splintering pattern
35 - Interesting view of the valley.
Got to the next camping area .... beautiful place to pitch a tent and spend the night.
38 - This was another cool camping spot along the river.
39 - Here we are !
40 - Camp River Shot
41 - Camp River Shot
42 - Camp River Shot
43 - Camp River Shot
44 - Camp River Shot
47 - Camp River Shot
Headed out of that camp on to see what was next.
48 - Pretty gnarly rock slide
49 - Now we're hiking. Who needs those maintained trails !
50 - Careful careful
Found a bridge and ... well ... judge for yourself
51 - Dammit Tim I TOLD you those boards looked rotten !
No harm done to Timmies legs ... onward and upward.
52 - Another camping place along the river
53 - River shot
Next camping spot along the river
54 - Craig beginning construction of a shelter
55 - There ! That looks cozy !
56 - JK ... Someone else built the shelter. I just tested its snugginess.
58 - High above the river.
59 - Someone put in steps
At this point we were a little unsure of where the trail went so we decided to go up. OK ... I decided to go up ... Timmie followed me.
61 - Ok wait a minute. I don't see a trail.
62 - Hey Tim, why don't you crawl down that slope and tell me if there's anything down there. I'll just wait here.
63 - Huge rock slide
64 - Another big rock slide
65 - Nothing down there ? Come on back up then.
66 - What took you so long ?
After Timmie got back, we re traced our steps and found out why we had lost the trail.
67 - Oh, that's why we couldn't see the trail.
68 - It was washed away
and just like that the trail just stopped
69 - End of the line
70 - Or is it ?
71 - Does anyone else hear the announcers voice saying, "Do not try this at home. These are trained professionals"
Spent some time enjoying lunch and discussing why this trail was supposed to be so nice. A little disappointing to be honest.
72 - Lunch - Year old Mini Banana Moon Pies. Yes. They are as hard as a rock.
73 - THE SUN !!!!! THE SUN !!!!!!!!!!
74 - Shoe Shot
Then I decided to scooch out on the log crossing the river to see up stream and I think I see why this WOULD be a good trail if you could get across the river.
78 - Teasing canyon view we had to risk death to be able to see.
Headed back in the sunshine to the car. All in all a pretty good hike.
79 - At least the hike out was nicer than the one in.
80 - Had to stop and marvel at the wonderful place I get to live.
81 - Looking down the valley on the way home
82 - Love those puffy clouds
83 - In the words of Louie Armstrong - What A Wonderful World
Also doing a little research one site told me "in the state of Wash it is illegal to pick/transplant Trillium without a permit"
Told you it was poison... I just didn't know what kind
Your Spruce in pic 31 looks like a Doug Fir to me. Right as you cross the wilderness boundary before 2 mile camp a path goes off to the right. If you take this path there is a bunch of very big fir and cedar including this monster.
My experiences there have been somewhat different than yours. Check out these pics from a few years ago (easier to link to the report than to the pictures themselves)
TR and pics
It's the moss gardens and huge trees that really make this hike special IMO. But it also must be compared with other trails that are open at this time of year, and not against high country trails which are going to better for sure. So when I say I love this hike, I do love it, but I wouldn't hike it in August. But for a winter hike closer to Seattle than the ocean, it's near the top.
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Hey now stay away from leaves of 3!!!!!
