Hoh River Trail to Five Mile Island — Saturday, Jan. 22, 2011

Olympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast

Saw that the Saturday forecast was for sunshine...even in Forks! Spent awhile talking with John, the ranger on duty at the Visitor's Center.He warned us that the trail was soft in spots and some creek crossings may be flooded. Sure enough, we encountered 5 major areas where gaiters would have been helpful! There aren't any bad blowdowns, but there are 2 areas where the original trail has washed out and there are obvious re-routes. We also encountered various wildlife, starting with a large Golden Eagle fishing in the creek just behind the visitor center! A few salmon were also working their way upstream at the bridge on the Mini Trail. Later on we met a few black-tailed deer, some bald eagles, and squirrels. We saw tracks for elk and raccoon, too. When we stopped for lunch at our turn-around point (Five Mile Island), there were fresh bear prints in the muddy flood bank by the river. We ate carefully by the bear pole area, but didn't see any other signs of the bear. The hike back was even more beautiful, as the afternoon sunlight made the moss in the trees glow. The two major waterfalls along the trail are flowing strong! Kept a good pace on the way back, and we were able to catch the sunset at Ruby beach a little further down 101. What a great day for a hike!