Hoh River Trail

Sunday August 23, 2020

This was another day when the virus and an Indian Reservation thwarted our plans.After a hearty breakfast cooked in the room's well stocked kitchen, the original plan was to drive through the Quileute Indian Reservation to the small town of La Push and then go to the beaches, First, Second and Third Beaches that lie just beyond the town. Supposedly spectacular vegetation, the Sitka, Spruce and evergreen trees, driftwood and ocean views. In furtherance of that we drove west on route 110, but at the fork to La Push Road we were warned of the road closure. The Indian reservation and the town were closed due to the virus. This time I heeded closure sign. We decided to retract our steps, return to route 101 and go south for short drive to the Hoh River Rain Forest which is one of the western entrances to The Park. The drive into the Along Upper Hoh Road to get to the Visitor Center was scenic and twisting and twice as long as the drive on the 101. It was very forested and hard to tell when private property ended and the park began as we periodically encountered residences and cabins during the drive.

The small parking lot was full so we drove back a little, parked on a side road and walked back to the Visitor Center. As usual during the pandemic, it was closed, but the Rangers were outside handing out maps and information. After a pit stop in the restroom we headed out on the Hoh River Trail, this area's main hiking trail. It is an out and back trail which parallels the Hoh River and extends 18.5 miles into the park. It ends at the Blue Glacier Moraine in the shadow of Mt. Olympus. We saw this glacier several days ago from Hurricane Ridge. There are several campgrounds along the trail, but we were returning to the inn that night.

The Hoh Rain Forest gets its name from the ever flowing Hoh River which is fed both from melting glacier and winter rain. It flows from Mt. Olympus to the Pacific Ocean. The name is derived from Indian words meaning either: fast moving water; snow water; or man with quarreling wives. It rains frequently during the winter. The area receives an average of 140 inches of rain annually. As we got to experience during our hike, the result is a forest with a lush green thick canopy with both coniferous and deciduous trees that let in columns of sunlight. On the floor of the forest there are dense collections of mosses and ferns which slinky mosses hang from and cling to the tress all of which creates the environment of an enchanted forest. 

The Hoh River Trail passed through my impression of a classic temperate rain forest. Even though it was not raining it was very moist and at times it seemed as if moisture was dropping out of the trees from fog condensation in the canopy. We saw lots of nursery logs, large trees which had fallen and from which a few or many plants were growing out of. As we walked on the soft and largely flat trail we observed lots of slugs, snails,rodents and salamanders. Lots of birds overhead and a few deer, but otherwise no large animals which reputedly are present. Lots of giant trees, Sitka Spruce, Red Ceder, Big Leaf Maple and Douglas Fur (Kudos to the tree ID guides). Not many other hikers, but those we encountered either were wearing masks or put them on as we passed. There were a variety of green shades, lots of shade, but with a few columns of sunlight piercing down to the forest floor. The Trail paralleled the river and at times ran right along side it. We passed the First River Access milepost and continued on to Mineral Creek Falls, a distance of 2.7 miles.  After resting and snacking there, we retraced our steps back to the Visitor Center. Even on the same trail I am always surprised how different things look when walking in the opposite direction. 

It was getting late, so we passed on the popular, but short Hall of Mossess Trail and drove back to the Inn. We plugged the car in, cooked dinner and ate it while watching the sunset from our balcony.