[Ski]

Queets 59th Anniversary (reprise) 09-04-17 - 09-06-17 USGS 12040500 090417 @ 05:30 PDT 550 CFS Central Park 090417 @ 08:30 PDT 65° F Amanda Park 090417 @ 09:35 PDT 80° F Left home at 7:10 am, arrived at trailhead 10:40 am. Weather clear warm sunny and fabulous the entire way. Met nwhikers member sams_rapids at trailhead, who had driven up to say hello. His car and my truck made for no fewer than fifteen (15) vehicles at trailhead. There was one couple loading up gear in their car leaving as we were arriving. No permits in box at trailhead kiosk (again - same as last month.) We walked down out onto the gravel bar and talked for a bit. Ford about 50 yards downstream from the mouth of the Sams was barely knee deep. I crossed, and sams_rapids waved goodbye, on his way down to enjoy the beach at Kalaloch. Met Eric from Quilcene just shy of Old Joe Creek (less than half a mile up the trail) and we talked for a bit. He had come up to do a little fishing and was on his way out. He asked about a couple of destinations in the area. (Eric if you're reading this contact me via PM and I'll send you links to the reports.) As Eric and I were talking, another couple passed us on their way out. Ran into Ernie at the west end of Andrews Field with his party. They had been up for a few days doing a little work on the trail and were on their way out. He said they'd cut a bit of a bypass around the section that had washed out between (approx.) mile 3.0 and (approx.) mile 4.0. Ernie said he'd be back up next week (presumably in the same place as usual.) The little footbridge just past Andrews Field (that Don Gores built, as I recall) has a loose plank. A couple big nails and a hammer (or big rock) would quickly remedy the problem. Best to fix it before somebody (or some critter) gets tripped up on it. Met another couple just past Andrews Field on their way out. They said there were a lot of people camped upstream. As we were talking another couple passed by us on their way out. A little farther on met another party, Barry and son Conner, who had been up to do a little fishing. Barry said he'd tied into a steelhead and a chinook up above. As we were talking a party of four passed by us on their way out. The water in Coal Creek was pretty much dried up. There was a trickle down there somewhere under the rocks, but you'd have to stop and hold your breath to hear it. I cannot recall when Coal Creek didn’t have running water in it. Just above Coal Creek met two young men packing rods. They said they'd just come up for the weekend and they were on their way out.

Queets River Trail (approx) mile 3.0 090417

Ernie's bypass is fabulous, making for easy travel through that stretch where the river washed the trail out. He went 50-60 yards back from the bank in some places; hopefully it won't all wash out again soon. Finding the eastern end of the bypass coming out is a little sketchy if you're not paying close attention, otherwise it's pretty straightforward. Nobody camped at the Lower Crossing campsite. Met two young men just above the Lower Crossing Junction carrying rods. They said they had just come up to do a bit of fishing for the day and they were on their way out. Of the ten parties that passed by me on the way out, half of them were carrying rods. Of those carrying rods, it sounded like Barry was the only one of them who managed to tie into anything worthwhile. I was glad I hadn't bothered to pack my rod with me - not enough water in the ditch right now. Nobody camped at Spruce Bottom. I stopped there and ate a cold bratwurst and an apple and took a good look at a snag spruce that's been there forever.

Ernie also flagged the "burro re-route" between (approx.) mile 5.2 and (approx.) mile 6.0 with blue tape; finding the trail is just a matter of starting in the right place after crossing that little drainage just past Spruce Bottom. I didn't see anybody else on the trail, causing me to believe my guess had been correct - everybody would be going out today. The three vehicles for which the occupants hadn't been accounted for were probably day hikers or fishermen - of all of those I asked, nobody had seen anybody farther up the trail than Tshletshy. Got to my spot about 4:30 and set up the tent. Got things arranged and pulled out the stuff for dinner, then went down for some practice dives into the Queets. Got dinner started and ate tortellini and salmon about 7:00. The little "Zip-O-Gauge" said it was 80° F at 7:00 pm.

bk below Tshletshy 090417 01

Queets River below Tshletshy 090417 01

The sky was slightly hazy, with a pinkish-gray tinge on the western side at sunset. The view to Pelton was clear. The high cirrus clouds that were circling above all day cleared out after sunset. By 9:00 the sky had gotten a bit more hazy and there were few stars visible, so I went to bed about 9:30. Woke up in the middle of the night and there were no stars and a pinkish-orange almost-full moon. Tuesday Sunrise at Kalaloch was 06:42 PDT, but you wouldn't have known it; the valley was full of smoke from wildfires - the ridge above Harlow is barely visible. The sun was obscured by the smoke and looked like an orange ball.

Queets River below Tshletshy 090517 0900 PDT 01

Queets River below Tshletshy 090517 0900 PDT 02

Didn't get up until about 11:00, made some oatmeal and tea about 11:30. The smoke is so thick there's a haze between me and the trees just across the river.

Queets River below Tshletshy 090517 1115 PDT 03

It was quiet all morning until the jets from Whidbey started up about noon. Thermometer at noon said just shy of 80° F. The sky was total overcast all day from the smoke. The sun kept trying to break through tiny holes, but never quite managed to come out in force, bathing everything on the ground in a kind of weird orange glow all afternoon. There was nothing to do but partake of delightful treats and watch the river go by.

Queets River below Tshletshy 090517 1355 PDT 04

bk below Tshletshy 090517 01

Queets River below Tshletshy 090517 1600 PDT 05

Went down about 5:30 to dive into the Queets a few times, and then walked downstream a bit to watch three little river otters fishing under a snag. Had capellini with meat sauce for dinner. Clouds overhead looked like it could start raining in the middle of the night. Still very warm: about 75° F at 7:00 pm.

Again, no stars out, only a few bats, and way too much smoke to see the full moon. Went to bed just before 10:00. Wednesday morning the sky was still a sheet of solid grayish-white from the smoke. I made a cup of tea and had an apple for breakfast and started packing up, while watching the orange ball of a sun play peek-a-boo in among the trees across the river.

Queets River below Tshletshy 090617 0900 PDT 01

About 9:30, a small helicopter buzzed by overhead headed upstream. A few minutes later he made another pass going downstream. A bit later he buzzed back up, and then a bit later down again.

Then he came back up, circled around, and dropped down and landed on the gravel bar on the opposite side of the river. I waded over and talked to the pilot for a bit. He was hauling crew members up to count and mark redds for the Quinaults. I should have asked him for a lift - that would have been an interesting way to see the Queets.

Hughes 500 at Tshletshy 090617 1040 PDT 01

Started down about 11:00, making pretty good time. Stopped and spoke with Dylan and his girlfriend just above Spruce Bottom. They had come up on Tuesday for a couple days and were doing a little day-hike up the trail.

The little Hughes 500 made a few more back-and-forth passes overhead when I got down below the Lower Crossing Junction, otherwise the rest of the walk down was fairly uneventful. Got down to the ford about 3:00 pm, and met Todd (Gary Patton's cousin) on the opposite bank just below the mouth of the Sams. He'd come up for the day to do a little fishing on the Sams. Including my truck, there were a total of four vehicles at the end of the road when I got back to the trailhead. Made it up to Kalaloch in time to say hello to Birdie, and listen to some other visitors complaining about the smoke and asking where they could go to get away from it. Went across the street for a gigantic latte and then down to Ashenbrenner for the obligatory post-hike feast before the long drive home.

(* apologies for the slightly shaky videos. the first thing I did when I opened my pack was drop my tripod and break it. I patched it back together with some adhesive tape for the first video- the second one is a hand-held job.)

[Sallie4jo]

Love your write up...time for me to go back out there. Been close to 30 years..so it's time. Way more people by your account! Happy 59 then.

[meck]

Really enjoyed your descriptions of this area Ski! This is getting much higher on my list of places to to go visit in the ONP. You mentioned only knee deep fording, in a typical late summer is it more mid-thigh to waist deep (knowing that it can vary a lot during the day and temp)?

[AlpineRose]

Mmmm. Your meals look really tasty, prompting me to ask - do you eat when you hike, or hike when you eat? Rad coffee cup, too.

[Ski]

[meck]

Thanks Ski! Aside from trying to travel through feet of powder snow, and being stuck in torrential rains w/o shelter, the only other thing that really concerns me when traveling in the Olys is having to ford rivers! Its nice to hear that it quite passable this time of year. Do you think it is still possible to follow the trail to its end at Pelton Creek Camp?

[Ski]

[Ski]

meck:

[meck]

Thank you for all of the info Ski! From your TR, and previous TR, it looks like a great place to visit. I was hoping to follow the trail mainly for the sake of having "hiked all of the trail", but yeah, if it was not much of a trail to begin with past Bob, then just heading east until I reach Alta creek should meet my purposes. Did you ever explore any of the Tshletshy trail? Do you know if it ever really existed or if anything remains of it? [EDIT] Nevermind, I found the previous info you provided to me in another TR regarding this from the Paradise valley side of the old trail. Good stuff.

[Ski]

[JustJoe]

Hey Ski I really enjoyed your TR. Especially your "down by the river" video clip. I was able to enjoy the sweet sounds of the creek while following your report. With the words, images and audio it was almost like being there! Brilliant!

[Ski]

Wow! Thank you. I ordered a new tripod ... same model as the one I broke last week .... Slik 450G ... gotta love Ebay ... $23 including shipping! Next video won't be so shaky, hopefully. I'm hoping we'll get another decent weather window. Looks like the week of the 24th - 30th might well be what we're hoping for. Stoked after that email from Sam... maybe I can post a video of up above .... chinooks should be up there by then if we get a little bit of rain.