tvashtarkatena Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 (edited) Trip: Bogachiel Schwakathon - Bogachiel River - High Divide - Olympic Hotsprings Date: 7/23-25/2007 Trip Report: When my friend Dimitri asked me to join him for a traverse from the Bogachiel River to Olympic Hotsprings via the High Divide, I pictured a gentle stroll through nature’s giants on soft, verdant carpets of moss. Well, the national park’s ‘trail standards’ for the Bogachiel River are somewhat different than for the Hoh: half of nature’s giants seemed to be lying across the trail every few hundred feet or so…for it’s entire 18 mile length. It didn’t help matters that when one of these monsters comes down, it takes the whole neighborhood with it. If you want to see the rainforest in its fully wild (read: un-maintained) state, the Bogachiel is for you. We actually debated how to keep our feet dry at the first stream crossing. Dry feet. The first thing to go. A light rain/mist/drip storm kept us cool during the first day. Two large herds of Roosevelt elk kept us company, as well as salamanders, frogs, and of course, slugs. By days end I was so crazy with blowdown fever that I started counting slugs on the trail with a stop watch; a sort of a do-it-yourself wildlife survey. My estimate: 100,000 slugs per square mile; about 8 tons worth. I tried to verify this, but failed to find a published figure. I did find a study that estimated the chance of a banana slug getting its penis bitten off by its partner during mating, however; an apparently common behavior of that species. Dimitri is the perfect partner for this kind of trip, because, as an arctic/desert explorer (he recently crossed the Bering Strait…on foot), the worse the terrain, the more he seems to enjoy it. In addition, he has a peculiar French habit of packing an assortment of non-traditional trail cuisine which might include coppa , oysters, pate, and goat cheese. What? No wine? Finally, he can spot a chanterelle or king bolete from orbit, although he may sacrifice an ankle or two in the excitement of discovery. We haven’t tested his ability to sniff out truffles yet. Garter snake 18 miles of gymnastic fun Blowdowns? You don’t know from blowdowns. We camped at Fifteen Mile shelter (dry but no bunks) and cooked up the chanterelles we picked enroute. We didn’t bother visiting Flapjack shelter; the access trail was blocked by blowdowns. The following morning the weather broke. Morning at Fifteen Mile Rainforest canopy One elk that will never bother anyone ever again Forest light The upper Bogachiel trail does improve somewhat after Fifteen Mile. The Hyak shelter is in good shape; it still has bunks. Twenty One Mile shelter has been destroyed, however, and the few hikers who take this route are apparently now using it for firewood. Fortunately, the park service has recently rebuilt the bridge over the upper Bogachiel gorge. The Low and High Divide Trails, being part of the much touristed Seven Lakes Basin loop, are of course impeccably maintained by an army of Swiss trail engineers who scrub it regularly with toothbrushes. We spent our second night just short of a fantastic ‘hardened’ campsite on the High Divide with spectacular views of Olympus…much to the consternation of a late arriving ranger. Fog rolls in over Seven Lakes Basin Sunset on the High Divide The High Divide Avalanche Lily. High Divide. From the High Divide we dropped to Heart Lake, beautiful but crowded, then on to the Sol Duc River, then over Appleton Pass for a much needed soak in Olympic Hot Springs. The total trip length is about 44 miles. I’m not sure I want to know what was happening here. Heart Lake. One of the last remaining goats expresses his opinion on relocation. Heart Lake. Buttercup. Appleton Pass. Bluebells. Appleton Pass. Sitka Valerian. Appleton Pass. Shooting Star. Appleton Pass. Gear Notes: Chainsaws, steam donkey, ladders Edited July 26, 2007 by tvashtarkatena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 Dude! nice pics as always. Your knowledge of flowers makes me feel a little funny inside. Not that there's anything wrong with that. How come we never get chanterelles when we go out? Hmmph. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericb Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 Please tell me you didn't hurt the snake. That's poor form around here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvashtarkatena Posted July 26, 2007 Author Share Posted July 26, 2007 Dude! nice pics as always. Your knowledge of flowers makes me feel a little funny inside. Not that there's anything wrong with that. How come we never get chanterelles when we go out? Hmmph. Chanterelles aren't supposed to come up until September, but the rainforest apparently operates under its own rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvashtarkatena Posted July 26, 2007 Author Share Posted July 26, 2007 Please tell me you didn't hurt the snake. That's poor form around here. We fed him a little pate, then let him go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericb Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 Feeding the wildlife in a National Park.....shame on you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXX Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 Wow nice pics. Love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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