Lower South Fork Skokomish loop

(I left my heavy DSLR at home and traveled light with my point and shoot. I can really see the difference in the picture quality.)


I did not feel physically good when I woke up, so I scaled back my plans for a snow hike up to the top of the dry creek ridge and instead strolled down the lower south fork Skokomish. I was also feeling a bit out of sorts mentally and I figured that even an easy hike would do me some good.

When I got to the trail head I saw a forest service truck and two men getting ready to do some trail work. One of the men had a chainsaw so I figured that I was going to hear a bit of noise. The man with the chainsaw said there was group down the trail working on the bridges too. I'm glad to see working being done on this trail but I was expecting the usual total solitude that I normally get there this time of year. I really was feeling out of sorts when I arrived at the trail head and when I saw that I would not get solitude I thought about going somewhere else. I know it was silly but I was really out of sorts.

I did not hear the chainsaw at all because I took off fast and I wore my mp3 player. I let my dog run a head and hoped that she would not get tangled up with the bridge workers. Well it turned out that there was only one worker on the trail. He was a friendly guy who likes to work alone.



What is this in the middle of the trail?


Nice Luggage Rack


Super sized tire

He uses a motorcycle with really fat tires for hauling his tools and stuff up and down the trail. He said that he had been working on this trail for years and he put in the three bridges on the upper trail. I had a nice conversation with him and I'm glad he was there.

The lone trail worker told me that they are going to fly in three new bridges. He was prepping the area for the new bridges.

Shortly after I passed him I stopped for lunch at camp comfort. After I left camp comfort I walked up the road and walked out on the road making a complete loop back to my waiting car. I got back to my car just as the two forest service workers got back to their car.

The trail is in much better shape that I am used to. A lot of work has been done out there and more is going to be done. The forest service worker told me that they are using Federal stimulus funds to pay for the trail work.


It turns out that walk really fast when I am wearing my mp3 player, I averaged 3.6 MPH when I was actually walking. I got home about 15 minutes before my kids got home from school.

I left my heavy DSLR at home and traveled light with my point and shoot. I can really see the difference in the picture quality.

Car to car 4 hours 20 minutes.

Miles 10
Elevation gain 400
Average moving speed 3.6 MPH
226 miles on my soloman gtx shoes

Other times I have blogged this hike:
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Tuesday, November 22, 2005



4 trees grew on the same nurse log, one broke off then one fell in the river and now a second one has fallen into the river. It won't be long before the last one falls. I loved these two trees.







Trail work tools



Tools



My lunch spot



Mud



Snowy on top