LoopHikes.com is your gateway to the first book that is dedicated exclusively to loop hiking in the Olympic Mountains. The book details 27 loops, 21 of which haven’t been published – including one that may never have been hiked.
“Loop Hikes in the Olympic Mountains” will be available to you in the fall of 2023. While we wait, LoopHikes.com will not only keep you informed regarding its publishing date, but it will also provide back- stories for numerous elements within the book.
65 Years Experience in the Olympics
“Loop Hikes in the Olympic Mountains” is the product of my 65 years of experience in the Olympics, 15 years of volunteering at the Olympic National Park and 6 years of writing and publishing this book. The book is my way of sharing with you the grandeur, the demands, the risks and the experience of being face-to-face with nature.
"The Wilderness, in all its rugged and subtle grandeur, is an experience that will always be part of your life.”
~Barbara Paschal
The silence of the wilderness, the adventure of an unknown and breathtaking beauty is but one decision away. Address the challenge, feel the trail command your feet and trade your effort for the gift of the forests, the sky, the mountains and their streams. Nothing can touch your soul and spirit like walking with nature.
Make a commitment and you will be rewarded.
There's more to forests than trees.
A number of loop hikes originate in lowland forests. The Quinault, the Hoh and the Skokomish are good examples. Lowland forests are thickly vegetated and, absent a trail, traversing them is an extremely difficult endeavor.
One of the loop hikes in the book includes a segment of the South Snider-Jackson Primitive Trail which connects the Bogachiel and Hoh River valleys. Flapjack Camp on the Bogachiel and the entrance station on the Hoh, about 11 miles apart, mark the two endpoints of the South Snider-Jackson Primitive Trail. Both of these endpoints are between 500 to 600 ft. of elevation.
The trail climbs over an unnamed ridge. On either end between 500 and 1,500 ft. the lowland forest can be a contest between you and the forest if the trail hasn’t been cleared lately. Above 1,500 ft. the trail climbs to about 3,000 ft while you transition to a Montane Forest characterized as dense tree growth and a lesser amount of vegetation on the forest floor.
“Loop Hikes in the Olympic Mountains” will be available to you in the fall of 2023. While we wait, LoopHikes.com will not only keep you informed regarding its publishing date, but it will also provide back- stories for numerous elements within the book.
Douglas Firs and western hemlock begin to replace the cedars, alders and Big Leaf Maples as the trail ascends. As you climb, the forest begins to reflect the gains in altitude and Silver Firs start to become more numerous.
Once over the ridge crest the descent to the Hoh River you experience the same forest transitions, but in reverse. The challenges, albethey different, are distinct. The Lowland Forest is chocked with vegetation. If the trail hasn’t been cleared recently, you’ll be entering a world of “find the trail” and “beat the brush.” Finding the trail in the Montane Forest may be easier, however, it will inevitably slow you down with deadfall across your line of travel.
Subalpine Forests have advantages and disadvantages for hiking. As you hike the loops, you’ll find Subalpine Forests as you cross any of the numerous passes and divides identified in the book. The subalpine zone in the Olympic Mountains is between 3,000 to 4,000 ft., and the alpine zone begins around 5,500 ft. and runs to the mountain tops.
Subalpine Forests are made up of Subalpine fir, Douglas fir, Mountain hemlock, Alaska yellow-cedar and Silver fir. Not all of these species are necessarily present, but those who are, tend to grow independently or in groups called copse.
If you take the time, you’ll see that copse are “coping,” trying to deal with the environment. Subalpine trees don’t survive in avalanche chutes. They avoid low points that turn to tarns during and after snowmelt. They restrict their height and retain branches that are short and stout. Strong and sturdy are the keys to surviving the high elevations, where the Subalpine Forests are exposed annually to a harsh, deadly and extended winter environment. In summer these forests are picturesque, and in fall a painter’s paradise.
All of the past articles beginning with March are accessible. Click here to visit the Archive page. Additionally, if you’re interested in what’s coming next, here they are:
April 1: “A trail-trudge or a lifelong memory?”
April 15: “Resources within your reach”
Visit LoopHikes.com frequently. Photos, information and stories change periodically, but sharing information with you comes first. Questions? Contact me at LoopHikes@olympus.net. Your curiosity is the foundation of building a better understanding. Tell your friends.
The book is coming in August 2023