Trip Report
Day Hike - North Fork Skokomish River to Camp Pleasant
Whitewater hiking on this rainy, sunny, warm day which required a Plan C.
Brian Carpenter
- Sat, Nov 4, 2023
- Day Hike - North Fork Skokomish River to Camp Pleasant
- North Fork Skokomish River
- Day Hiking
- Turned Around
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- Road rough but passable
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The FS road along the shore of Lake Cushman is significantly more potholed than it was memorial day weekend. Nothing major but it slows you way down.
One small log across the road just before the park entrance, we were able to move half of it and clear half the road to drive into the park.
North Fork Skokomish trail was blocked at the 2 mile point by high water over the trail.
Nearby Dry Creek trail also blocked by high water, this time 0.25 miles in on the road.
Plan C hike, Big Creek Loop, is in great shape!
Rainy dark morning but very warm. Tons of waterfalls cascading down the rocky cliffs that line the road along the Cushma n lakeshore. Staircase area was empty when we arrived. Skokomish river was running high and fast and loud, with lots of water in the rapids. Trail was fine to the suspension bridge. About a mile farther up=valley the high water/rain runoff has turned a small stream into a major water barrier on the trail. Crossing safely would have meant wading through knee-deep water, which would have meant wet feet, so turned around here.
Tried Dry Creek trail as a backup, but just 0.25 mi down the road we ran into another creek that was raging across the road, impeding passage.
Plan C, the Big Creek loop, was much more successful. Lots of whitewater in the three creeks the trail passes, but this trail is in great shape thanks to the MRTC. Sun came out after noon and it felt quite warm.