Hiked from east trailhead out of the Skokomish side. Road is passable but final stretch with the dips probably require a higher clearance vehicle. Trail in great shape with just a few downed trees to navigate. No one all day on a Saturday although rain was in forecast. I love this trail for it's BIG trees, mushrooms, wildflowers and wildlife. It did not disappoint us! Flowers from the beginning and frogs, slugs out on the trail with the wet conditions. Blueberry bushes as you drop down into the lake basin got us soaked but soon will be loaded with ripe berries! Saw a very large pile of bear poop...sure they are awaiting the ripe berries! Lots of bird activity. Salamander in the lake. Just a perfect day on an exceptional trail. Would love to know what was "attacking" the vine maple at the trailhead(see pic 3). I will post to iNaturalist but looks like some type of leaf penetration organism. It was beautiful!

I hiked from the Satsop lakes to the pass via Church Creek Trail. The road from the Satsop center is washed out so you have to drive a ways up the lake and take the higher elevation alternative. There was a little snow at the highpoint of the road but we had not problems with 4wd. Descending to the lake, the road gets pretty rough and 4wd is recommended. The lake at the beginning of the hike has no outlet so it gets very high in the winter. The trail was under 6+ feet of water and we had to bushwhack around the lake and find where the trail picked up on the other side. Deep but consolidated snow started maybe a mile up from the lake and progresses to 3-4 feet at the pass. We did not need snowshoes. This is a beautiful trail, and though it offers no expansive views it is certainly worth a visit.

Trail is in decent shape, a few spots could use some attention with steepness and tread. Lots of blueberries, a couple trees on the trail and relatively brushy. Bring your hand pruners.

Hiked the Church Creek Shelter Trail (#870) from FS 2361 the half mile down to the shelter with two dogs. The trail is great, with nothing difficult to report, until you reach Church Creek itself. The trail goes across it without a bridge, and the shelter sits on the other side. I crossed on some down logs, but others might not be comfortable with this final task before arriving at the tiny clearing where the shelter sits in a copse of hemlocks and firs. For the easiest crossing, look downriver and try the log jam. Total hike time ~45 minutes, including taking in the shelter area.T

This was a scouting trip for a Mountaineers stewardship hike planned for June 1st.  Weather was spectacular.  Bugs were buzzing but not biting.  Trillium in bloom. 

We scouted from east trailhead to about 3,100', a little short of the top of the divide.  The trail has a few new trees down, but they can be stepped or climbed over without difficulty. Some areas are a bit more overgrown and will need brushing. We encountered patchy snow above 2,570', and continuous snow from 2,800', past the rock face and alpine meadow, the junction with the old forest road, until the trail got back into the trees.

At about 2,950', is a tree about 32" in diameter lying across the trail.  It has been notched underneath to facilitate crawling under, and has a rhino's horn stub on top which can be an assist for going over.  I found over easier.  That is the most significant obstacle we found.  Two switchback turns above that tree, on the downhill side of the trail is a tree which last year had an active ground bee or yellow jacket nest at its base.  We marked it this year, girding it with yellow and black "caution" tape, and putting some orange flagging on the uphill side a few yards before and after it.  We met Michelle and Jonathan on their way in as we came out of the woods at the abandoned forest road. We did not scout above 3,100' today.

The usual road for access to the west trailhead (Satsop Lake) has been cut by a washout.  There are two other forest service roads to it on the map, but their condition is questionable.  Coming from the east, we found FS 23 in good shape, with some new asphalt patches, to a little past the turn for Browns Creek and LeBar Horse Camp.  Starting a bit before the "Elevation 945 ft." sign, the road was very badly potholed, worse than last year.  There is a sink-hole over a culvert which is sometimes marked by a tree limb stuck in it with pink survey tape. FS 2361 was pretty good, with few potholes.  The Church Creek spur, 2361-600 was not blocked by trees. The waterbars are about the same as last year.  We had no problem with a Chevy Colorado and a Subaru Crosstrek.  Passenger cars without high ground clearance likely would bottom out.  Road condition requires low speed and caution.  Allow 1h 30m from US 101 to trailhead (25 miles).