An original book, dedicated to loop hikes
“Loop Hikes in the Olympic Mountains” is the first and only book that deals only with loop hikes in the Olympic Mountains. The trails have always been there, but no one ever took the time to focus on them as loops. The shorter loops are true loops where you never cover any short part of the trail twice. As the loops in the book get longer, the majority are also true loops. Those that repeat a section of the loop involve the Dose and Elwha trailheads, as of now. I’m looking forward sometime in the future to the reopening of the Elwha and the Dosewallips roads.
Where, seems to be more of a problem than their length. The “Four Rivers Loop” is 111 miles in length and not one step of it is a repeat. These loops allow you to hike the span of the Olympic Mountains. All you have to do is pick one and go.
Animals you might see, won’t see and some to avoid
Animals you might see depends, at various levels, on where you are. Some animals have a preference on the type of forest, or whether an area is relatively dry. The northeast portion of the Olympic Mountains is an example of a dry environment.
Olympic Marmots spend their winter months in burrows and tend to stay close to them through the warmer months. They prefer open areas where they can see and avoid predators. Marmots are omnivores and mountain meadows provide plants, like grasses, flowers and insects; their table is set.
Most of the loop hikes will include subalpine segments and Marmots often are busy in the meadows you’ll pass through.
Other animals that you might see are Black Bears, Elk, Deer, Quail and Grouse. You might come across most of these animals in just about every part of the Olympics with the exception of glaciers and areas of nothing but rock. Keep your distance—50 yards is recommended; so bring a longer lens.
I’ve often seen grouse in montane forests more than any other place. You’ll probably hear them before you see them. They make a grunting sound somewhat like pigs make. When you start to follow the direction of the grunt, you’ll most likely be looking at deadfall a short distance, 10-20 yards, uphill from the trail. Grouse walk the deadfall to get a better look at who’s in the neighborhood.
Animals you won’t see
Cougars, Fishers, Bobcats and Coyotes exist but you’ll rarely, if ever, see them. They’ll see you and they make sure you don’t see them. None of these animals could be considered friendly. Leave them alone and they’ll return the favor.
Mountain Goats have been nearly removed from the Olympic Mountains. The reasons for their removal was: they are not native to this area, their number had gotten out of control, they were doing damage to alpine meadows and they were destroying the Olympic Violet (Viola flettii). It is a species only found in the Olympic Mountains.
Animals to avoid
They are faster than you, more numerous than you and attack in the dead of night. Mice! When you read the book, you’ll find several warnings about mice because I’ve paid the price of the mice.
There are two major categories of mouse damage. The first is food and the second is gear. Food is what the mice want, and they pursue that interest on the basis of smell. Inevitably they chew through your gear searching for their prize. Your repair or replacement cost can be excessive: a tent $300, a pack $200, and a rest pad $100. Gear provides no protection when food is their goal.
Having found your stores of food, it will either have been consumed but more likely just outright contaminated. They also crave salt, in your case sweat-salt deposited on: pack straps, gloves, boots, clothes, and hats. In the book I advise avoiding shelters. Except as an emergency, they tend to be mouse gathering places; an animal you need to avoid.
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:
May 15: “About Me, the Author”
June 1: “The Book enhances your Loop Hike experience”
June 15: “Rejoice in the Meadows”
July 1: “The Book is static, but the Wilderness is forever dynamic”
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