Difficulty of Hiking the Loops
If you’ve never hiked any trail—loop hike or through hike or in and out—every trail contains some level of difficulty. You may start out on a relatively wide flat and spongey trail. After reading this and being on that trail you might get the idea that the entire trail will be this easy. But even the easy trails will present difficulties for you.
Trails will have sections that might be steep or rocky or full of large rocks that you have to step up on. In “Loop Hikes in the Olympic Mountains” I’ve included a difficulty score for each of the 27 hikes. The book starts with the easiest hikes—for example, Marymere Falls has a rating of 0.74. Whereas, the High Divide Loop is at 19.99. So, the point being that if you did the Marymere Falls Loop and you were tired by the time you got back, I would guess that you are in no shape to handle the High Divide Loop—since it is twenty-seven times more difficult than Marymere Falls.
Length & Elevation
Before we go further, let’s look at the conditions of a trail and the elements that add up to the condition of a trail. Using our example, The High Divide is 10 times the length of the Marymere Falls hike. Almost every hiker looks for the length of the hike before they consider anything else. But in this comparison the length of the hike only accounts for half the difference in difficulty. Obviously other elements contribute to the level of difficulty.
While the length of the hike is important, so is the amount of elevation gain or loss. Let’s take a look at elevation. Some hikers will pay attention to how much elevation gain they’ll face and where the greatest amount of elevation will be found within the hike. For example, if you are doing the Hoh-Bogachiel Loop the first 9+ miles gains a total of about 600 feet of elevation. The next 6.4 miles is a climb up the Hoh Wall and a gain of 4180 feet. Needless to say, if mileage is your only measurement and elevation gain isn’t considered, you are in for a big surprise. As I’ve stated in the book, the Olympic Mountains are, with minor exceptions, full of hikes that are either up and/or down. Elevation is critical in your assessment of whether you are prepared for the loop hike that you have chosen. Obviously, the Hoh Wall ought not be your first hike.
Water
The availability of water is one of the most critical elements driving the level of difficulty on any hike. A long steep climb, a heavy pack and a hot day is a recipe for dehydration leading to heat exhaustion if you don’t carry or find water sources.
A majority of the loop hikes follow rivers and cross over passes repeating this pattern until you arrive where you started. A number of loops however, will have one or more days where you will need to carry water. If you thought your pack was heavy before, you’ll realize how heavy water is when you add it to your pack. Throughout the book I’ve provided possible water sources that are off-trail. The good news is that nearly all of this off-trail water scouting is in sub-alpine or alpine areas. Being in these types of areas lets you see if water is available before you go and get it.
The Skyline-North Fork Quinault Loop is a good example. Water is usually available at Three Lakes. If water isn’t at Three Lakes, you might look over the southern end of Tshletshy Ridge into Paradise Valley—a half mile-plus to the west—where you’ll see the beginning of Tshletshy Creek. If water isn’t available at Three Lakes or in Paradise Valley, I suggest you return to your car.
If you are proceeding on, Kurtz Lake is a mile east of the junction with the Elip Creek Trail. At Three Prune, Three Prune Lakes and Alta Creek are a steep half mile climb west of Three Prune campsite. Finally, the headwaters of Hee Hee Creek are a long mile south of Kimta Peak and a half-mile northwest of the ridge.
Sixteen miles lies between Three Lakes and Lake Beauty, the only reliable water sources. If the Skyline trail wasn’t challenging in and of itself—with a difficulty of 52.86—its reputation for less than plentiful water sources across 16 miles only makes this loop more of a struggle in many ways.
There are other elements that contribute to the levels of difficulty. All the elements are printed in the appendix of “Loop Hikes in the Olympic Mountains.”
Fording is one of those elements.
Pre-Ordering your copy of “Loop Hikes in the Olympic Mountains”
You can order the book at Villagebooks.com in August.
Enter “Loop Hikes in the Olympic Mountains” in the Village Books search box below their logo at the top of the opening page.
I’ve been writing about some of the elements of the book since March and I will continue to do so. If you or your friends haven’t checked Loophikes.com lately, it will identify when the book is available. It’s what we’ve all been waiting for. There is no better time to order your book. I’m certain that you’ll be pleased. The book is one of a kind, informative, explores loop hikes that haven’t been published as a book. The “Grand Loop of the Olympic Mountains” is a loop that may not have ever been hiked. Whether you’re new at hiking or you’re an expert hiker, the book will be useful and helpful—and it will expand your collective experience.
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:
August 1: “The Advantages of Fall Hiking”
August 15: “The Last of Summer Hikes”
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