Doing the Dose on the only dry day this week

Pictures like this draw me in  and  make me want to walk down
 the trail to see what is around the corner.

This fell down since my last hike

I got my little one off to school and headed for Dosewallips. The Dosewallips road washed out several years ago and now the only way to get to the National Park campground, at the end of the road, is to walk 5.5 miles down the washed out road. This road might never be repaired.

Same sign before it fell down

Since the washout occurred the road has been further damaged by the Mount Constance fire. Every year this road looks less like a road and more like a trail. In fact, this road was put in right over the top of an old trail. So really the is the re-emergence of an old trail rather than a road turning into a trail.

 It is interesting to watch how quickly the road is fading. I never saw Dosewallips before the road washed out, but I imagine it was crowded and horrible just like Staircase. But, it could be that Staircase is crowded and horrible because it is now the only west side entrance to Olympic National Park. Neither Staircase nor Dosewallips are crowded this time of year though.

I like doing this “road” walk because it is level and it is at a low enough elevation that it can be done year round. I also like the open feeling created by the break in the canopy over the road, compared to the dark and closed feeling of trails at this time of year, when the sky is overcast. And I enjoy the fact that the hike ends at an old car campground with a nice river and picnic tables; it is a very civilized place to have lunch considering that it is now out in the middle of the wilderness.

This should have been an 11 mile hike but I apparently walked an extra couple of miles just wandering around and taking pictures of mushrooms and moss with my external flash. I’ve done this hike many times before but, this was the first time I have been on this trail with my new camera. I had my 50mm lens and my sb600 flash with me. I like that the 50mm lens is light and compact but I don’t like that I can’t easily do landscapes with it.  It is my perfect lens for taking pictures of mushrooms though.

I really enjoyed my hike; I had a blast taking pictures of mushrooms and I enjoyed listening to my MP3 player until it died, I mean it completely died and I will have to get a new one.

I hit the wall at 12 miles, (just like I always do unless I pack a really high protein lunch) after 12 miles my feet and legs hurt and I’m not having fun anymore. But pleasantly enough I reached the 12 mile mark at Elkhorn campground. Elkhorn is a national forest campground that is just a mile beyond the washout. I took advantage of the campground and lay down on a picnic table for about ten minutes and then my feet felt better.

My ankle was pretty good during this. I wore boots again, that is part of why my feet hurt. I did twist my ankle to the inside just enough to hurt when I was about 4 miles into my hike and it continued to hurt until I took my lunch break a mile later. My ankle does not hurt at all today, so I don’t think any harm was done.

When I got home I was totally exhausted so I did not post a trip report. In fact I was too tired to drive very safely on the trip home and they were out of coffee in Hoodsport. But I did make it home ok and went to bed about ½ hour after I got home, because I was tired and my family was being too demanding. For a change the house was relatively clean when I got home. I think my little one is growing up a bit and is making less messes now. I don’t think my husband has changed. And yes, he does enjoy reading my blog and knows what I write about him on here. (grin)

13 miles with 1,300 feet elevation gain

A highly prized mushroom that I don't want people to find with google

Had to do stich to get this little view with my 50mm lens

Dosewallips Falls

Mushroom, mushroom!

Burned in the Lake Constance fire

Tree seedlings grow up in an abandoned fire pit

Don't try to park here

Patches really wanted to go to Lake Constance but dogs are not allowed there

Jupiter Ridge Pano

Moss, I like to walk with it

Almost the pearly gates

This sign  post is buried. I've never been  on the trails beyond this sign.  It's
enough of a hike just to get to this sign and back and Patches is not alowed beyond  this point

Pretty polpore type fungus

Fun with my flash

It must be the year of the huge white coral mushrooms

burned and unburned

Lake Constance trail head sign just hanging on

view of the river from the trail around the washout

Abandoned picnic table

A rare thing to find in the "backcountry"

Hanky or Mushroom?

Nurse stump (biomass)

Ralf the bear lived here

Vine Maple

Shroom on a log interesting moss too

Mushroom, mushroom

Honk if you like conks

Lunch in the backcountry

Profile log over track log

13 miles with 1,300 feet elevation gain