Free Beer at 4 Stream plus my Hat and an Elk Collar

Patches was down with an eye infection so I decided to take a hike in the park and look for my hat.  I was tired and did not want to hike to the end of the trail, I vowed to turn around as soon as my hat was found.  I did not find my hat before I reached the end of the trail, but I did find it on the way back down.

One the way down I made a half hearted effort at finding the old O'neil trail markers and I ended up in the 4 stream campground instead.

I had lunch on the riverbank and then did some off trail exploring on the way back.  There was a trail that Ranger Bruce said went nowhere, but I had to find out for myself that it went nowhere.    Ranger Bruce was wrong, the trail led to free beer! When the trail ended I brush crashed along the base of the hill parallel to the river.

I found some elk bones and then I found an old pull tab Rainier beer can, then I found and empty bush beer can, then I found a full beer can.  then I found more elk bones near the first ones and then I found an elk radio collar.  There was no one at the ranger station so I took the collar home and called fish and wild life.  They want me to deliver the collar to Montesano or Olympia.  That is probably not happening.  Perhaps I will take it back out to Staircase the next time I go.  My Jeep is in the shop again and my good car is pushing 100,000 miles.

I came out behind the ranger residence and stumbled onto the old hydro trail where the rangers stashed their whiskey bottles.  The trail is not marked anymore so I've not been down it in a while.  I wandered up to the very end of the hydro trail.  Everyone should go explore this secret trail lined with whiskey bottles.

I had a fun day of off trail exploring, trails are boring, brush crashing is where it's at.  I did not see anyone else all day long and that's the way I like it.

7.5 miles with 1,200 feet elevation gain.

Colonel Saunders bottle cap on the hydro trail, it's a mystery

Elk radio collar

Copper Mountain from 4 stream

Free beer!

generator

secret  trail to the dam

water strainer for the generator

staircase generator house

Where I found my hat

old bottles on the secret hydro trail

coffee on the banks of the Skok with my new purple titanium cup

Track and elevation log

A little grove of  Noble fir trees off trail

Patches elk collar is too big

4 Stream

Usnea longissima  lichen hangs off of an Acer Macrophyllum tree at Staircase campground

Up the upper 4 stream trail after fording 4 stream.  Nice old growth on this never finished trail.  The day was bright and dry and cold.  Trail is not traveled much, so there is some stuff to climb over and sometimes you have to think about the route a little bit.  In one place a tree fell over the end of a switchback and you might not see that the trail switches back there and you might keep going straight.

Patches was still limping from Lena Lake so I had to leave her at home no matter where I went.  She should not have been limping after such a short hike, but she is getting older.

Pop goes the electric bill!

7 miles with 1,200 feet elevation gain

This area was dug out and flattened

The trail ends here, you can go around the rock but it's just a way trail
that is covered in wind throw after this

Looking down the trail from the end of the trail.
Here the trail has been chipped out of a cliff face