[protrails]

Well - fell into the river on this one and almost had a bad day. Thank god I always keep a dry set of clothes in the pack! Good lesson - always keep dry clothes in a dry bag in your pack in Olympic! Gallery from the trip: http://protrails.com/galleries/view/446/1/sam_s_river_loop_olympic_national_park Trip Report (coming together now): http://protrails.com/trails/view/618/olympic_national_park/sam_s_river_loop Enjoy! Dave @ ProTrails

[protrails]

And this is only the 2nd time I've ever seen a racoon in the 'wild' - that is, not at my garbage can. The other time was in the Everglades: http://protrails.com/galleries/view/116/2/bear_lake_trail#photo Dave

[Ski]

Dave, check your links... you've got two different reports on the Sams Loop Trail there. Interesting photo of Cowan Field with the trail so clearly defined. Usually it's barely discernable through that clearing, causing a good many people to get waylaid. Per Robert Van Pelt (northwest big tree guru), the Queets Sitka Spruce is (was) the largest specimen of Picea Sitchensis in terms of living biomass- larger, if not taller, than the specimen down at Quinault. I insert was in there because it looked to me last January like the top had blown off. It's about 50 feet south of the road where the south end of the campground loop road meets the Queets River Road. And don't fall down in the Queets. That river will eat you. bk

[Ski]

I figured the shot taken above Spruce Bottom was earlier in the year- the rocks look tiny with all that water! Actually, Sams Loop (in my humble opinion) is far more rewarding done clockwise (walking the north side of the loop first), starting at the Ranger Station: the 1/4-mile road walk is in the middle. Working on it all summer, I walked it every which-way you can imagine. Worst of it is just southwest of Cowan Field during big rain events: there's an ephemeral stream that inundates the trail corridor, and it can be quite a challenge to pick up the trail again- happened to me last January.

[Ski]

Dave, you deleted your previous post. I meant to mention: from your text, it sounds like the Queets River Trail ends at Bob Creek (10 miles). The trail was cleared this last summer up to Paradise Creek (about 14 miles). Between Paradise and Pelton it's anybody's guess what condition the trail is in: a decade ago the top end (last mile or so) was virtually non-existent.

[protrails]

Ah - yes, I posted the gallery to Queets for some reason - my bad! I did that earlier in the year, you are correct. I did Sam River Loop last week which was awesome. Great catch, thanks again bk! In my deleted post, I had mentioned I hung with an NPS bio fish tech who was running a salmon survey and we watched a bunch of salmon swimming about. Very cool.

[protrails]

And yep - I'd consider that clearing up to Paradise in the 'unmaintained' category, know what I mean?

[protrails]

My pics from last week, thanks again B! http://protrails.com/galleries/view/474/1/sam_s_river_loop