August 1st 2023

16.3 miles + 2592ft / -761ft

I am camped in my car in a little turn out along the road that leads to the Hoh Rainforest entrance in Olympic National Park. It was a peaceful evening in which I sat in my camp chair eating dinner and sipping some wine, listening to the sounds of the forest and the occasional car zooming by. I felt protected in this little alcove and slept great. In the morning I snooze the alarm yet I know today is not the day to go back to sleep. I decided last night I need to go back to Forks to tank up on gas. I just don’t want to risk it with less than a quarter tank here now. That means the possibility of a town breakfast as well, which is always a good idea.

I make coffee and jump into the tangled forest nearby to dig a cathole. Good thing I could do that here, you always have to think of these things! Back in town I get gas and take great pleasure in cleaning my windshield. My car is pretty dirty to say the least, but there is no point in washing it now. I want real food, so I decide to try out one of the local drive thru coffee stands. I’ve noticed these are ubiquitous around the Olympic Peninsula. Or maybe it’s a Washington thing? This one is called “A Shot in the Dark” and serves a pretty decent menu of both savory and sweet items.

I order a breakfast croissant that has egg, ham and cheese and a cortado, my espresso beverage of choice. Both are delightful. I eat while sitting in my car while putting up a new post on IG from my last three days in the Olympics. I do have the goal of posting more frequently for the folks back “home” who are following along, but it takes me so much time since I  have this whole process for how I decide what to write and all that. Everything I do seems to take a lot of time, but I think the beauty in that is the actual process. I guess that’s good.

When I get that all done, I am hungry again. Hiker hunger has struck already! I go back and order blueberry pancakes with whipped cream. They are delicious and it’s super cute the way they have them rolled up like a crepe, with the blueberries on the inside. I supposedly needed some sugar to follow all that savory. As I drive I feel my body equalizing, it’s this thing that happens when I have exerted myself to an extreme and then I rest and eat. It’s a familiar feeling that I love, a deep satisfaction and and a returning to “normal” after what is surely a caloric defecit. The gast tank filling back up. I am still a little sore in those same places on my left leg, but all in all, I feel okay. I have yet to discover how I will feel climbing today and that won’t happen until much much later.

There is a long line and a long wait to get into Olympic National Park. They have very limited parking and it is metered, so every single car that leaves will open up one single car to enter. After about an hour I am inside and parked at the hiker parking area. Again, it takes me forever to get my act together and finally be ready to hike. But I don’t really care as I already decided I am only going as far as I can, and not pressuring myself to hike all the way to Glacier Meadows tonight, as originally planned, so that helps.

Entering the trail that begins the long walk through the Hoh Rainforest is like entering a cathedral of trees. It is truly so remarkable, there is such an interesting mix of trees I can’t even do it justice trying to name them. Let’s just say there are a ton of giagantic Cedars, and then quite a variety of broad leaved trees, then everything is blanketed in moss and lichens. It is the greenest place I’ve been since Kauai a couple months ago, this place is teeming with Oxygen, I am getting fully oxygenated.

By 2:15pm I have made it the five miles to the campsite that was on my permit for last night. I had released the idea of making it there last night, but I do hope to stay there tomorrow night on my way out, so I meander over to check the lay of the land and decide to stop to eat lunch. I don’t have avocado today but everything else is the same as last week and I enjoy it immensely. Before too long I gather up my scattered gear and put my shoes back on to get back on the trail, I actually have a long way to go yet.

The main trail continues on mostly level ground that generally parallels the Hoh River for around 13 miles, there is very little elevation change and for the most part the trail is wide and well maintained. Every once in a while you have mud, rocks, roots and there are two creek fords which you do have to get your feet wet for, but when it comes to that I find it very refreshing and keep my shoes and socks on for both crossings. I may regret that later as nothing dries here, but for now I am just going to roll with it.

I have a lot of time to think today. I think a lot about my upcoming race and how my body is feeling. I think about my family and friends and how lucky I feel to be here. I realize at a point that when I am out hiking solo these days, I am not thinking about the past. That is something I have done a lot of before, but that seems to have shifted. I think this is good. I am quite focused on what lies ahead, in the immediate future and also the present moment, which is easy to be in while traveling in a tree cathedral.

There is very little wildlife. I hear very few birds, I hear wind rustling the leaves in the canopy and water rushing at various decibles depending on how far I am from it. I see a large frog, a couple birds and even a Jay which seems quite out of place. I hear a few squirrels screetching as I pass by, and other than that, a few people. Not so many people as one would think though. This whole day has felt quite peaceful and not crowded at all, especially after passing the five mile camp.

Around 6pm I strike up a conversation with a dude name Rick who drove up here all the way from LA yesterday just to hike here. That is impressive! He gives me a lot of great intel about what lies ahead for me, as I am planning on hiking up to see the Blue Glacier tomorrow. He informs me of a great spot to camp just past the Martin River and before Elk Lake. He shares with me how to negotiate the rope ladder, which I did not even know there was a rope ladder until today. Sounds fun. He also shares how stunningly beautiful it is up there and he is not the first today to tell me this. I am really excited to see it now, it seems as if I made a great choice.

At mile 15 I cross the Hoh River from several hundred feet above a giant gorge on a long wooden bridge. This gorge is deep and impressive and I am surprised how high up I am. I wasn’t epecting that. From here I start the real climbing and have about a thousand feet or so and I am thankful I have just eaten a snack, thus feeling quite well on the uphill. My leg still feels a little sore but it seems each day it is better and I am comitted to once again taking care of all my needs when I get to camp tonight. It does help.

I am drenched in sweat when I make it to the Martin River where I need to stop and tank up on water. It is super humid and I feel so sticky. Yet, I am now getting chilled as the breeze over the cold glacial water is not warm. I would love to dunk in and rinse off but I can’t now, I need to go make camp and eat my dinner. I cross the water and clamber over a few logs to the other side where I see several tents set up. For a moment I get nervous that there won’t be a spot for me, but remember what Rick told me, “go left right when you see that wooden sign for no fires above this elevation”. I do just that and voila, there is a perfect and available campsite just for me. Thanks Rick!

I have lentils with quinoa and Red Hot Blues tortilla chips for dinner. When I finish I am still a little hungry so I pop a piece of jerkey in my mouth. I take a food inventory. I have exactly enough, and nothing more. I bet I will finish every last thing I have here before I make it back to my car. Especially considering how much work I have to do tomorrow hiking up to the glacier. But I will be fine and I am glad for the lighter weight pack.

After dinner I spend a lot of time stretching and doing my PT exercies and generally taking care of my body. The temperature hovers around 55F and I heat water to do a full body wipe down which is amazing! I walk around barefoot on the soft dirt and rather enjoy the forest feel under my feet, grounding my system.

It gets dark out around 10pm and I am still sitting outside stretching. It is late! Now, the time reads 10:46pm and I am really ready to close the eyes. I have a big day planned tomorrow, hiking up to the Blue Glacier and back down here will take up the entire first half of the day, then I will hike another 10~ish miles retracing my steps from today to the five mile site to camp, so it should be another 16 + mile day but with a lot of climbing to start out.

Right now I am listening to the clicking of bugs inside my tent that I can’t get rid of. The rushing water from the Martin River is just close enough to make a pleasant white noise. Other than that is is very quiet.