Mom: I was SO very excited to get a permit for a long backpacking trip- just me and my 10 year old sidekick all the way down the Hoh River to the Blue Glacier. I knew this would be a challenging 36.5 mile trip with a couple of long days and some climbing. We drove in the little smart car for 4 hours to the Wilderness Information Center in the Quinault South of the Hoh. The air was somewhat smoky but the ranger told us rain was coming.
Mom: After another hour of driving we arrived at the trailhead in the early afternoon and headed out through the crowd of tourists toward the Hall of Mosses and the Hoh River trail. I LOVE the moss.
Mom: The first day was only 6 miles along a gentle trail following the river. We took our first break near a little waterfall. Amy started with 20 lbs. I started with 35 lbs.
Amy: We got tired quickly and took lots of breaks.
Mom: The big trees made me so happy and surrounded us. As we hiked farther we had the trail mostly to ourselves.
Mom: The moss and growth on the nurse logs was so thick and amazing!
Mom: The trees were so tall and ancient!
Mom: We had been listening to Harry Potter on the way to the trail and many of these trees reminded us of the "Whomping Willow" with the many branches and the trunk holes that might lead to mysterious underground tunnels.
Mom: More moss and sun shining through the leaves.
Amy: I enjoyed this giant nurse log.
Mom: I just couldn't stop looking up!
Amy: The trees were huge.
Mom: A beautiful waterfall in the distance.
Amy: This is a crossing of what used to be a stream.
Mom: I love how this giant tree is sharing resources with these two!
Mom: Nurse log and nurse stump regenerating the forest.
Mom: We made it to Happy Four Camp in plenty of time. We had seen a deer and fawn and a coyote.
Mom: Home sweet home away from home!
Amy: We started our Skip-Bo tournament. The score on this day was Mom:1 Amy:0
Mom: Sun setting over the river.
Mom: Day 2 started with a little better weight distribution- closer to 15lbs for Amy and a little heavier for me. We went from Happy Four to Martin Creek- 9 miles.
Mom: The trail started out gentle and we greatly enjoyed more BIG old trees covered in moss.
Mom: These trees had so much character.
Mom: A few times I felt the urge to hug a tree. I was enjoying this old growth so much!
Amy: Another break we took. Little did I know how steep it was going to get.
Mom: I thought maybe the moss would make good hair or a good face mask.
Mom: Another tree sharing resources- so deeply intertwined and we imagined how deep and wide the roots must go!
Mom: Enjoying the magic of the trail. Hiking past Olympus Guard Station.
Amy: A nice chair.
Amy: This rock is so awesome.
Amy: Another good seat.
Mom: Nurse log that these trees seem to be straddling.
Mom: The rain started falling and the last two miles were SUPER Steep!
Amy: In case the last sentence didn't sink in, it was about this steep: /.
Amy: Me wondering, "How much further do we have to go?"
Mom: After much struggle climbing the last two miles with our packs, we made it to Martin Creek campground. I was proud of Amy for continuing after hitting her wall- pushing herself through pain and heavy pack. I was grateful to be safe, healthy, and together communing with the OLD trees.
Mom: Hanging wet socks in the rain was really a lost cause but I was hopeful that after some rest we would be ready to see a glacier in the morning! The total skip Bo score was Mom: 2 Amy: 1
wow that looks like a fun time for all
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