South Fork Hoh River - Big Flat — Friday, May. 4, 2018

Well, since I'm a WTA volunteer crew leader for the Olympics with hundreds of trail clearing days under my belt, I finally decided it was time to set a goal to start posting trip reports! I also do some volunteer trail work for the Olympic National Park independently of WTA, and that's what I was doing with two other people for this trip. I can't tell you how many times I have worked on a trail, making it beautiful, and then haven't posted a trip report about it!

Three of us: Dave Skinner, Martin Knowles and I, got this trail cleared, brushed and raked though to the end. Dave went out a day and a half before we got there, and then we all worked together for two more long days to finish it up. 

The South Fork Hoh is one of those lesser-known gems. It gets overlooked because it's a "dead end" with little in the way of "views." However, I beg to differ. This is an intimate, quiet trail that is precious in what it has to offer every step of the way. If you go right now you'll see the flowers that are all stretching their limbs, begging for your admiration. Plus, since we got rid of all the salmonberry that would otherwise take over the trail, you can really see the flowers decorating the side of the trail! Looming over your head are the humungous old growth spruce trees that simply create awe, not to mention those iconic moss-draped maples. Go past the official "end" of the trail and you can sit out by the river with a view of Hoh Peak, and then on the way back you can see every little thing you missed on the way in. You can also marvel at the size of some of the logs Skinner has cut off that trail over many many years. It's a forest full of delights. Enjoy, and don't just go as far as Big Flats because you'll miss so much of the lovely experience.