Gray Wolf River, (Slab Camp to Camp Ellis)

Another round of early season backpacking in the Olympic National Park. This trip was to another river valley that I had never been to, the Gray Wolf River. It was also an introduction to backpacking for my best friend Lyss! Apparently reaching the upper stretch of the Gray Wolf River Valley into the ONP requires taking a side trail down hill on the Slab Camp Creek trail due to a trail bridge washout on the lower reach of the trail. You can also more readily access the upper stretch in the ONP by Deer Park rd if it was open, but that road is not currently open and you'd be taking the Deer Park access trail from the same parking lot anyhow. I wanted to see the valley!

After a late start, nearly noon by the time we set foot on the trail, we scurried down hill to Slab Camp on the Gray Wolf river via a well maintained National Forest trail through the Buckhorn Wilderness. You start out in the 2500' elevation range, and plummet downhill to the Slab Camp in the 1500' elevation range. The downhill start is a little inverse for a river hike. In that you lose so much elevation before even starting to climb the valley, which is unlike most ONP river hikes.

After crossing the large bridge across the river you make up for the loss in elevation fairly soon. The trail pulls away from the river and climbs on a narrower path high above the river. The path is laden with moss, and an eerie feel of the recovering forest from an old burn. Small trees strewn across the hillside's floor. With glimpses of burnt stumps, hollow trees, and scorched sections of the few surviving older growth trees in this area. The narrow path meanders along steep forested hill with the occasional trail engineering to maintain a walkable path. As you approach Slide Creek camp the forest thins a bit, and crosses an open rock scree field that gives you glimpses up into the valley. By this point we had passed both large groups, and accounted for all of the cars in the parking lot. After Slide Creek we had the rest of the valley in isolation for a very peaceful, and silent wilderness experience. Rarely is it with this much solitude.

Slide Camp was the first test of the new 2oz in line sawyer mini-squeeze kit. I'll have a further review of use later, including maintenance, and function, but in essence I still retain my 2 bottle system allowing me to add a chlorine-dioxide purification treatment when needed or on light and fast hikes. It also has a no-frills, no extra parts required and was fully integrable with my platypus bladder systems that I currently use. The release of this filter in October of 2013, is likely going to change my water system permanently. The old Squeeze was too bulky, and heavy... The new mini-squeeze is trimmed down and won't be as bulky in my space is limited 9oz frameless pack when I choose to carry it.

After Slide Camp you go up, down, cross another fork of Slide Creek and then you cross the ONP boundry  where shortly after dogs are no longer permitted. We found a wider spot and sat down to make Chicken Ranch wraps and snack on some bacon before we began the slow descent to the Gray Wolf River Camp where the backcountry self register box still exists. I'm not sure if anyone is picking up permits. Having already registered at the Port Angeles WIC we took a left and headed up the river valley. Until this point, other than crossing the Gray Wolf River at Slab Camp we were high above the river and out of sight of the river below. Starting at Gray Wolf camp you are following right along the river for the rest of the trip up the valley. Around this area the forest slowly begins to become older growth as you go further up the valley. Along the way there was a long log crossing, and more meandering through majestic mossy woodlands until we reached Camp Ellis. We decided to stop here instead of pushing on to Falls Camp after such a late start. Setting up camp, overfilling our dinner with water, and making some tent maintenance required before the next trip we finally sat down to make a fire and relax before crashing for the night.

The next morning we made an amazing breakfast! (which Dani and Richard introduced to me on the last backpacking trip). 2 quart ziplocs were filled with a half packet of Idaho instant butter mashed potatoes, and half a packet of McCormick peppered gravy. A third bag was filled with a 1/2 cup of Providence Pantry freeze dried sausage crumbles (boy are these tasty! even without re-hydrating!). The sausage was re-hydrated with the requisite amount of water, and we found that between 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 cups of hot water was about right for the FBC method. A side of Oberto Applewood Bacon Jerky made for an amazingly filling and delicious backcountry breakfast! This will likely be a staple from now on.

After breakfast we finished tearing down camp and meandered on to Gray Wolf camp. We crossed the Gray Wolf River and had a snack alongside the larger tributary of Cameron Creek. From here it was up and on out. At Slab Camp we stopped for an Italian Sausage, Baby Bell cheese, spicy mustard and mayo wraps before the haul back up the hill to the car. Up and to this point we had barely encountered rain showers, and at lunch it was blue skies and sunny! On the up hill out of the valley, this slowly changed... The closer we got to the ridge, the larger the drops of rain!

Gear in review:
The new filtration system is going to stick around for at least a few more trial runs if not indefinitely.

The adjustment to my rain gear on this trip was adding the rain wrap back into the equation like mentioned in the recent Elkhorn trip. Using that in conjunction with converting my pants to shorts kept me significantly drier. When I get the sewing machine back, I'll fabricate some sil-nylon trail gators for those trips of imminent rain. Knowing my shoe's gore-tex is shot I'll need to test the current rain system with non-leaky shoes anyhow.

The Ti-SOL Jetboil is still kicking strong. It is usable for 2, with at least 2 boils of water for breakfast and drinks. This trip was an experiment, to see how much of a hassle it was and whether I wanted to take one of my larger 1.3L or 2L pots with next time.

66" Neoair pad, Neoair sit pad, and my down jacket in an 8L Ultra-sil dry bag for a pillow is definitely the most comfortable sleep I have been in the backcountry! This setup is staying...

Elkhorn Backpacking Trip 5/3-4/2014

Every year the first backpacking trip of the season is a, "did I remember everything and was that gear list I used from 5 years ago that I found on my blog complete?" kind of trip. Friday night I headed out after the hustle and bussle of work to the Elwha River Campground in the ONP. Driving around in the dark it always seems that the car camp is more "wooded" and "private" than it is when you wake up in the morning. It's part of the reason I have an aversion to car camping without a purpose.

After self registering for the trip, we were slowly gearing up at the trailhead, when I lifted the storage in my car and found a mouse! When I relifted the cover up, the mouse was gone with a nest of babies. The nest wasn't there earlier that week, and it explains the nibbles on my Cliff bar that morning, and the mice sounds in the middle of the night as I slept in the car...


Heading out we were blessed with only light intermittent showers, making fairly good time to the Humes Ranch area. The slight increase in gradient begins shortly after the cabin. Over all it is certainly not a long hard climb, but the couple spots that climb on this trail are consistent gradient.

Upon approaching Lilian River, I passed a guy that was carrying a kitchen sink in his pack I swear... I've been putting some weight back in my pack for comfort items over the past couple years after previously trimming down to a 6lb base weight. So I know what I actually use, need, and just plain want in my pack. On this trip I was carrying a more "traditional" Gregory pack with a vented panel instead of a 9oz MYOG pack. I figured I looked liked like I was carrying a tank... The guy asked me how far out I was day hiking, and no one ever likes my responses when I tell them, "day hiking? Nope, I'm backpacking out to Elkhorn, how about you?"

After Dani, Richard and I ate lunch, I stormed ahead like I tend to do, fully knowing I was going to pass that fellow again on the "Never Ending Ups." After Lilian River is the most significant incline on this stretch of the trail, albeit it's not super steep it makes up by staying that way for probably close to a mile or 2. At the high point I took a nice break playing around with the macro option on my camera. When that guy caught back up, his next question was, "Do your friends have your tent?" I just chuckled, "Nope, I am fully self sufficient and have my tarp and bivy in my own bag." I really just wanted to say, "Less is more dude."

In general in this spot I secure off my poles so I don't try to sacrifice them to the gods of the Grand Canyon of the Elwha a long long way below... Instead, I bumped one of the trekking poles and it tumbled off the edge about 10' or 15' down the steep embankment! Followed by my camera, but luckily it's roll was stopped by the flat portion of the trail. Crap! Luckily Dani saved my pole for me and off we went back down the trail!











Scoping out rapids along the way from Mary Falls to Elkhorn, cursing Nat the whole time because I could hear his voice in the back of my head, "You need to get a packraft." The river was pretty high coupled with the snowmelt and rain, which made the rapids look juicier than I've ever seen them. The section between Mary Falls and Elkhorn are beautiful with their winding moss covered paths that make you imagine you are wandering into a childs fairytale. Leaving you wondering when the mythical creatures are going to hop out of the bushes... The weird details and beauty of this hike keep me returning time after time.

Approaching Elkhorn never ceases to amaze me as well. The trail has this little weave through the trees with a crescendo opening into a beautiful grassy meadow with historical structures. Across from the shelter there are beautiful mountain views up into the range across the river accented with the meadow and Elwha River below. After setting up the tarp, we began cooking and the skys opened up considerably more! I was scouring around for dry tinder in the bushes and under the trees and found enough to get a small fire going. As I slowly realized everyone went to bed, so did I.

The next morning there was fresh snow on the hills above...

During the night the skies opened up and gave my sleeping system some of the most rain I can remember while being under that tarp. The pitter-patter on spinnaker is one of the most soothing sounds I can think of falling asleep to. Topped off with being bone dry afterwards is always a good sign! :-) I remember my first trip after sewing that tarp and bivy setup almost 6 years ago was "dear god am I going to break this?"... As daylight broke, I was having some of the best sleep I've ever had in the backcountry, so I found my beanie, covered my eyes, and fell back asleep. When I finally awoke, everyone had already eaten and pretty much packed up... :-) I guess I really needed that night with the insecent, yet soothing rain to destress after the work week.

Breakfast was warmed up, eaten, packed up and off we went! Slowly meandering through the mystic forests, and grabbing lunch on the way through Lillian River again.


Gear in review:

 So on this trip I added the old Gregory Z-45 that I used for hauling college books around campus. It is certainly heavier than my MYOG pack, but it carries well. The vented curved back panel is quite nice with how hot blooded I am vs the next to skin of the frameless pack. I think I'll certainly give it another whirl, and if possible try a smaller size, since I had way too much room with my UL gear packed inside. Probably could of fit a couple weeks worth of food on top of what I was carrying.

The semi-full length NEOair certainly sleeps a lot better for sure!

The poncho should be coupled with my rain wrap in conditions like we had on the second day. The voice in my head was telling me to pack it prior to the trip, but I still didn't grab it on the way out the door. The poncho is certainly more breathable and comfortable than traditional rain gear. For earlier season, or imminent rain trips I'll bring more rain gear.

The Elwha River June 16th to 17th 2010 Olympic National Park

Apparently my annual hiking season kickoff is the Elwha River trail (3rd year in a row) Which was a success! After a long battle with several trip cancellations since April due to school... I finally made it out onto the trail with some of the hikers from the local "Posse." This trip was so overdue it's not even funny... 2 sets of finals, and some serious life stressors... Depending on what map or sign you look at the mileage varies from 23.9 miles to 26 miles for the route we took. Beings that the Custom Correct maps are only made for the Olympic National Park and are supposed to be the most accurate on the ground measurements... Their map says we traveled ~25.5 miles along the route we took.

The maps are in sequential order from the parking lot to the destination beyond our camp at Elkhorn.


Elevation profiles are about as good as I can draw the above red line along the trail in TOPO. Which other than the actual on the ground distance being off as usual...

We started out around 10:30am at the Whiskey Bend TH, to access the Elwha River Trail with nearly cloudless blue skies! From the start the "everyone hike's their own hike mentality" kicked in... I tried to keep my speed in check and not get too far ahead (I of course made sure Steve and Richard were behind me), but the hours ahead were some of the most needed one foot in front of the other therapy and meditation that I've ever needed. Since I started hiking this type of meditation has never been able to be matched by any other sport or activity. You are essentially carrying your life, house, and survival on your back, while leaving any instant help or distractions far from the city.

Richard and Steve at the Trail-head.
Me at the trail-head.
Micheal's Cabin
Steve and Richard trekking along.
One of the first views of the towering Olympic mountains.


We made a quick stop at Micheal's Cabin along the way and then we pressed on towards Lilian River Camp for lunch. At about 4 miles in and roughly 12:30pm we took a lunch break at Lilian River's camp. I was lazy and packed a Subway sandwich for the first day's lunch... After lunch, the fun part of the trip begun... The undulating trail kicks uphill and stays at a consistent angle for a little over a mile. I took off ahead of the group to keep my consistent and grueling pace to Lilian's Pass. After I reached the pass I was welcomed with a 15 or so minute stretch break and a nice breeze to cool me off after the climb.

My pack laying on the Lilian River bridge.

Steve laughing at something with Richard on the Lilian River Bridge.

After the group hit the top we meandered down the next few miles to Mary Fall's camp where I topped off my platy with some river water before we pressed on. Just before Mary Fall's camp (7.5 miles or so along) is where the trail starts actually following along the river and finally starts to open up. We trekked on towards Canyon camp, where we found 4 or so weary hikers with over stuffed packs and carrying what appeared to be everything but their kitchen sink... These guys had only traveled a mile from their last camp and looked like they were going to die...

My gear laying at the high point of the trail.
Looking down the trail...

Steve crossing a bridge before Mary Falls.
One of the first real views of the Elwha.
After we passed the weary hikers we pushed the last mile to Elkhorn, where we found an empty meadow with all the pristine camp sites empty! So we took one of the sites near a makeshift fire pit and preceded to pitch camp. Steve and I passed around the idea of leaving the tarps in the packs and just cowboy camping, but some building dark clouds near the peaks above persuaded us to set the tarps up. We knew the weather report called for clearing through the night with nary a chance or showers... I threw down my pack, and started to attempt to stake down the tarp (super rocky ground) when a mouse ran out from under or near my pack... So began the jokes of how I picked the site over the mouse's home, and how I was going to have a nighttime visitor crawling all over me... The mouse came back several more times until I finally decided to hang my pack with my food so that I would hopefully deter my new found friend from visiting me in the middle of the night. Come to find out instead of packing my bug bivy I packed the actual bivy sack... So... Thankfully the bugs were almost non-existent, because there was no way in hell I was closing up inside a bivy sack on such a warm night with a 20 degree quilt...

The mystic forest wonderland ahead of us.
A small cascade right before Elkhorn meadows.
Crossing into the Elkhorn Meadows.
Camp from across the meadow.
The backcountry ranger station, that is manned during the summer months.
Camp looking towards the river.
My homemade tarp and bivy, along with my Golite quilt.
Tarp shot with a mountain view.


After setting up camp we hiked up the trail a ways to the horse camp and then back to camp. For the most part we only had one group of a Father, daughter and her boyfriend come by. They seemed to not be too thrilled about the meadow camp being taken and moved on after talking to Richard for a minute... Out of the blue, Steve looked over towards the backcountry ranger station and there was a bunch of half naked people stripping and doing pushups... What the hell... and then one ran across the meadow trying to wrap a towel around themselves as they ran... I understand taking a shower, but... yeah... Some people's children... 5 deer grazed through camp while we were prepping dinner. Some Margaritas were made and a little while later after some jokes everyone parted ways and headed to bed. I awoke several times to clear skies and stars so bright that I wish I would have forgone the tarp and just slept out in the sub alpine meadow. At least with the tarp I can just poke my head out and see whatever the heck I want.

Just north of the Meadows, looking towards the headwaters of the Elwha.

3 different cooking systems at work. Steve has the Caldera Cone, Richard has a canister stove and I was using a 0.5oz esbit stove.
The new cookpot/mug, with a Jared's deviated version of one of Sarah's recipes, which I left out several key ingredients during my last minute packing... The meal is usually so scrumptious and to die for after a long day of hiking, unless you don't have all the ingredients prepped and forget the rest home... At least I remembered the Parmesan Cheese!

One of the spikes that were grazing through camp.

The morning camp view.
One of the stream crossings on the way back after Mary Falls.

After the morning breakfast and coffee, we headed out down the trail that we came in on. Lunch was again taken at Lilian River, and we preceded to Micheal's Cabin where we took a sharp left and headed down to Humes Ranch. Here we ran into an infant fawn with it's mother. I've never seen such a small fawn in my life, it looked like the size of a little dog next to it's mother.

The doe and her fawn with Humes Ranch in the background.
After Humes Ranch we followed a bunch of trail re-routes since the river wiped the trail out in sections, until we reached the Goblin's Gate. Just before the Goblin's Gate we ran into some folks staring into the meadow on the other side of the river, come to find out it was a lone bear grazing. Finally my curse of never seeing a bear along the trail had ended! Hopefully I'll see more this summer.

Along the Elwha before the Goblin's Gate.
Wow, wow and wow... The whole entire river gets narrow-necked into a 10' to 15' wide slot canyon at the Goblin's Gate. Steve informed me that if I came back during the winter the water would be another 5 to 10 feet higher and splashing even higher against the cliffs... The shear force of the water was evident in the depressions and ripping currents in the canyon and the large back eddy of water trying to force it's way through the bottle-neck. After seeing the Goblin's Gate we headed up the unrelenting climb from the valley floor back up to the Elwha River trail, 500' of elevation gain in under 0.5 miles... After we reached the trail we headed back the last mile or so to the trail-head.

Above the Goblin's Gate.


A view from the back of how small the Goblin's Gate really is. That is a lot of water being forced into this slot canyon.



A few gear highlights, the new for 2010 Vasque Mindbender trail runners worked flawlessly. The new for this year 700mL backcountry.com Ti mug is the perfect size and will permanently replace my 475mL mug. I need to pick up a set of Dry-Ducks for a 6oz lighter rain jacket and I'll be bringing back a separate dry bag for my warming layers. That way I can keep them in a more convenient location in my pack. Otherwise it was an awesome trip and it was great to finally be back into the backcountry! I'm sure I missed a few things and when Steve finishes his trip report I will link it at the top of this blog post. One day down the road after I get done with school I want to get an Alpacka raft and hike it up 20 miles to packraft down this river and pull out just before the Goblin's Gate.