July 29th 2023

20 miles +5233 / -4895 ft vertical change

Three Forks Trail –> Gray Wolf Creek –> Gray Wolf Pass –> Dosewallips River –> Dose Meadows Campsite

I was dead asleep when my alarm sounded at 6:00am. I shut the buzzer off and immediately fell back to sleep until 7:25am. When I wake I have that wonderful feeling that only a long, deep night’s sleep can give you. I don’t care that I overslept, it feels so right. Nevertheless, I remember I am camped only two miles from the trailhead and I am smack dab next to the trail, so I fumble with my morning routine as quickly as I can before making coffee so as not to have people walking by seeing me camped in this random spot. I get lucky and see only one trail runner who barely even acknowledges me. Phew, I am in the clear!

I usually make coffee immediately but today broke camp and packed everything up first, then sat and drank my coffee as if I was merely taking a trailside break. I don’t really know why I go to such efforts to not be seen camping here, it’s not illegal, I just felt maybe a little embarassed about camping so close to the trail and only two miles in, but hey I started my hike at 8pm last night, so that’s what I get, right?

When I am walking it is 8:28am and I still have a couple thousand feet of descent to the bottom of this valley where the rivers meet. The Three Forks Trail must be a description of something, a convergence of three forks of a river perhaps? Nevertheless, I get to walking and keep a steady and quick pace, holding at around 3mph the whole way down. I am curious to see what my campsite would have been had I gotten all the way down last night to Gray Wolf.

The soil here is spongey and very forgiving on the joints, it is lovely and the trail makes several long contours and switchbacks to get down the mountain. I am buried in thick vegetation and a myriad of conifer trees, I don’t even know what all of them are but for sure there are Cedar, Hemlock, Spruce. This forest is thriving and it is such a blessing to be walking among miles and miles of land covered with such a lush forest. It is it’s own living, breathing self and I get to witness it’s pulsing, heaving and sighing the breath of life.

Overhead there are a few hovering clouds but there is also blue sky. The clouds make for a soft feel to the day, as does the shade of the forest, though dappled sunlight pours through the boughs and branches, occasionally striking a tangle of moss that hangs on the long branches.

It is truly beautfiul here and it’s a treat to bear witness to nature doing her thing. Water is crashing over rocks and fallen trees making artful cascades worth admiring. Little mosses and flowers grow on top of decaying wood, sheltered by fattening leaves that soak up the sun. I am cruising along and feel great, making solid progress. My mental game has been in race training mode, in that I am aware of my pacing and mileage on the regular, though not obsessively. I want to make it to mile 5 before taking a snack and 2nd coffee break, though at mile 4 find the perfect spot along a creek. I take the bird in the hand.

I needed water anyway, and as I sit sipping coffee I indulge in a few strips of home made beef jerkey a friend gave me (thank you Richard!). What a combo, coffee and beef jerkey, seriously! I am feeling good! I still have a few more miles down along Gray Wolf Creek here and aim to eat lunch at the top of Gray Wolf Pass, though it may take a while to get there I now realize.

Along the way there are several downed trees to negotiate, some of them quite large and it amazes me to envision what it might have been like in here when they fell. Same with downed trees that drape across the river in places. It is a tangled mess, those trees are there for the duration, sometime covering the water course completely. I love that nature can be so messy. Her artistry can be so perfectly balanced and delicately nuanced yet also such a terrible tangle of destruction. Isn’t it interesting? I wodner why do we humans favor one over the other, calling it pleasing to the eye? We seem to prefer a sense of order, organization, or at least organized chaos.

Eventually I am rewarded with a peek through the dense forest at some of the high peaks that surround me, sending waves of excitement rippling through me. I am looking forward to the climb! That beef jerkey and coffee got me through around five miles, that is pretty good, but before the climb I need another snack. It’s 1:30pm and theoretically a good time to eat lunch, but I have my heart set on that pass. I stop for water at a creek, make electrolytes and eat a Greens Plus bar with a chunk of dark chocolate. I see a trail runner cruise by on the log bridge, he is in shorts and a t-shirt and wearing what looks like a Solomon running vest. Cool! I wonder what he is up to?

I am fueled and ready for this 2,800 ft climb. My watch says I have already ascended 1,900 ft which didn’t even really feel like much climbing over that last 6 miles, now it is going to be felt for sure over a much shorter distance. As I break through the trees into the sub-alpine zone the rewarding views and change of scenery are truly a gift, as this is what I  came here for. Not that I didn’t love the forest, but I really love the veiws of all the high peaks too. They look menacing with their sharp and jagged lines, their remaining snow fields with the clouds lingering around their toothy edges are such a contrast of soft and hard.

Water is pouring over rocks and filtering through electric yellow moss that is interspersed with grass and wildflowers all clinging to the rock. The ground cover and understory has changed to that of  something hardier and more resistant to weather exposure. This elevation reminds me a lot of places along the PCT in the Cascades. One of my favorite sections of the entire trail. This is wonderful, I am in my happy place!

I trudge up along the steep slope, happy for the well graded switchbacks, yet I have become aware that my left leg is sore in the upper part of my calf. This is a totally new place and I am a little nervous as to what’s going on there. I stop to stretch it a bit and continue. I reach the top of the pass at 3:30pm and I am hungry for lunch! It’s windy and chilly here so I duck behind some trees for protection and plop down in a lovely spot with a fantastic view. I remove my sweaty long sleeve shirt and put my dry t-shirt and puffy on. It does not even occur to me to take off my shoes. Something I normally do at lunchtime, but I am not planning to stay too long.

Lunch is a tortilla with a slice of sharp chedder cheese and fresh avocado, topped off with Macadamia nuts from Kauai, yum! It is wonderful and really hits the spot. I linger only long enough to eat and then I set back off to the trail. I have a lot of downhill work ahead of me with a 2,600 ft descent. Oof!

From up here I can’t help but admire the dramatic escarpments that form these mountains. They are quite unique. It’s as if the sand and rock were washed away in long ribbons, then on the ridges, there grows trees and moss. The light filters through the clouds in such a way that highlights the contour and texture of these massive mounds of Earth so beautifully.

About half way down I find myself walking through a slope of wildflowers in the sun. It is absolutely magical. I cross water as it trickles down the steep rocky hillside which is ladden with moss. Everything is teeming with life, the vibration is high and I am feeling it for sure. Such beauty.

When I reach the river bottom the trail becomes quite thick with overgrown vegetation, I am now walking among berry thistle and fireweed, pushing my way through, I can’t see the ground under my feet at times and the vegetation sometimes stings my skin. The meadows open up and soon I have views of the surrounding mountains again. I pass by Bear Camp, where I almost planned to stay, and am glad I am not staying here. It has a little bit of an eerie feel, and besides, I want to make a few more miles and camp where the Ranger said there are better views. So, I press on. From here I still have a few more miles.

And those last couple miles sure get me, I tell ya, suddenly I feel like I am really struggling. I can see the River below me and when I check my map I calculate two more miles. These miles are not as fast as this morning, go figure!

By mile 18 I have to shift my headspace, I was allowing myself to get a little discouraged because of this pain in my leg that is new. I decide to focus on the positives, like the fact that I can come out here and just hike 20 miles just like that. Like what a stunning place I am in, and I start to think about how I will tend to my body tonight, rinsing off in the water, stretching and massaging CBD balm into the sore areas. I think about the delicious dinner I will have and just how wonderful it is to be out here. And you know what? It works, I feel loads better within about ten minutes and the final miles of the hike fly by.

When I reach Dose Meadows where I am to camp, it is just after 7pm. I see a group of people sitting in a circle on the hillside, chatting. They seem to be some sort of class. I don’t love camping next to large groups, but I suppose I have no choice. Thus I wave hello as I pass them by and start the process of scouting for a decent tent site. I make my way over to a spot where there is a couple eating their dinner, they invite me to camp near them and it is as good of a spot as there is, so I take it. Turns out they are thru-hikers, they hiked the PCT last year and live in West Seattle. It is super fun talking with them as I set up my tent, their trail names are Mimosa and Breaking Bad. Love that one!

I take a walk down to the water and while there take off everything and wash down my itchy skin. It is ice cold and so refreshing. I have goose bumps all over and once I am dry I put on my sleep clothes and already feel like a million times better. For dinner I prepare a home made meal of curry lentils with quinoa, add avocado and spicy plantain chips, oh yeah, it hits the spot!

I tend to my body with massage, CBD and stretching while in bed and feel very very sleepy. I debate on whether or not to take Ibuprofen, finally deciding to do it just to de-inflame my body. I have not taken it since last November, I really try not to so that when I need it, it works. I think tonight it will do me some good. Just before turning in for the night I see lovely sunset clouds hovering over the higest peak nearby, they look like cotton candy. The people have all settled down for the night and it’s nice and quiet. I can thankfully hear the rushing creek down below, a perfect lull to fall asleep to. Pretty good first day if you ask me.