Staircase Rapids Loop #112

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Our Hiking Time: 2h
Total Ascent: 100ft
Highest Point: 900ft
Total Distance: 2 miles
Location: N 47° 31.4460, W 123° 20.5140
Required Permit: National Park Pass
Difficulty: Easy


A few weeks ago we rang in the New Year with a trip out to the Olympic Peninsula to tour one of its most popular trails: Staircase Rapids. Located near Lake Cushman, this nearly flat riverwalk has attracted hikers for over a century. With blue skies above Seattle, we grabbed our snowshoes and started the long trek out to the North Fork Skokomish River.

As the 1880s began, the fact that no one had explored the Olympics or ever crossed the peninsula was a challenge that industrious men of the age felt a need to respond to. Local tribes had no interest in the area beyond the foothills, which meant the peaks and valleys of the Olympics held secrets few if any had ever seen. A few parties attempted explorations, but it was an ambitious Army officer Lieutenant Joseph P. O'Neil who, after an aborted attempt in 1885, managed to blaze a serviceable mule trail 93 miles across the peninsula in 1890. That trail became one of the main points of access into the Olympic interior, and today the Staircase Rapids Trail follows portions of that early route.

Although the rapids along the North Fork Skokomish River look a bit like a staircase, the name comes from a particularly difficult bluff that O’Neil’s mule trail took travelers over at one time. A small cedar staircase was constructed over portions of this bluff, and the task of climbing it was unpleasant enough that many referred to it as the “Devil’s Staircase.” By 1911, money was put toward smoothing out the O’Neil route, and an easier path was dynamited out of the rocky bluff that once stood near the Staircase Campground to make what is now referred to as the Shady Lane Trail.

The trail begins from the Staircase Ranger Station and crosses a causeway over the North Fork Skokomish River. Here the Shady Lane Trail branches off to the left, but keep to the right and follow the Rapids Loop trail into the forest. Here the wide, flat trail wanders beneath a canopy of fir, hemlock and cedar. Almost immediately a sign beckons you toward a Big Cedar, which succumbed to age and winter storms in 1999. Still, the fallen giant is 14ft in diameter and is worth the short side trip to visit it.

Return to the main trail and before long the route bends toward the river and the roar of the rapids. Take time to linger at the many alcoves and viewing points to enjoy the cascading water and large pools. At about 1 mile, the trail branches off to the bridge, and connects with the North Fork Skokomish Trail.  The current suspension bridge replaced a bridge that had been washed out since the 1990s, finally restoring route to a loop. Now hikers are able to easily cross the water and make the loop back to the parking lot.

If you’re looking for a little more hike, you can continue onward past the bridge for another mile to Beaver Flats, a wide expanse that offers views of Mt. Lincoln and the lingering traces of the 1985 Beaver Fire, accidentally set by campers in the area. The trail here is a little rougher and less traveled, but its is still navigable out to the two mile mark where the trail intersects Four Stream, so named as it is the fourth of nine streams that enter the river between Lake Cushman and the river’s source.

This truly is a hike for all seasons. Accessible all year, this loop works for a quick snowshoe or a short summer hike. Because the distance and elevation are fairly minimal, this hike works well for young hikers and first time snowshoers. This is also a very popular destination with many trails linking to other nearby destinations, so expect a little company as you head out to Staircase. There’s less traffic in the winter, so if you’re looking for an introductory snowshoe, Staircase Rapids is a good bet.

To get there, take I-5 south to Olympia to Exit 104 toward Aberdeen and Port Angeles. Follow US 101 along Hood Canal just over 35 miles through Shelton to Hoodsport. Turn left onto Lake Cushman Road/State Route 119 and follow for a little over 9 miles to a T-intersection. Head left onto Forest Road 24. Continue for about 6 miles to the Staircase Ranger Station and the parking lot. Note that FR 24’s pavement turns to gravel after the first 2 miles. -Nathan


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Glacier Basin Trail #719

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Our Hiking Time: 7h
Total Ascent: 2200ft
Highest Point: 4400ft
Total Distance: 13 miles
Location: N 47° 58.7460, W 121° 21.7860
Required Permit: Northwest Forest Pass
Difficulty: Hard

A few months ago we headed out to the Monte Cristo townsite to explore Glacier Basin, a rough hike that sees far fewer hikers than nearby Gothic Basin. Complete with waterfalls, wildflowers and relics of Monte Cristo’s mining past, we wasted no time clambering up into this alpine cirque. NOTE: The US Forest Service will be closing Monte Cristo in the spring of 2013 for a cleanup operation that will last until 2015. During this time both townsite and this approach to Glacier Basin will be closed.

Situated at the base of Monte Cristo Peak, Glacier Basin was at the center of Monte Cristo’s mining activity in the 1890s. The basin is named for glaciers that carved out the cirque in the distant past, and while there is almost always some snow lingering in Glacier Basin, there are no longer any glaciers. The basin is riddled with mine shafts and tunnels, with at least one long passage running underneath the basin to connect mines in Cadet Peak on the east side of the basin with Mystery Ridge on the west. When mining operations were in full swing, a massive aerial tramway hauled ore across Glacier Basin in buckets along 1,200ft of cable to a station located on Mystery Ridge. From there the tramway sent the buckets down to Monte Cristo to concentrators that separated the ore from less useful material. Today you can still find evidence of this tramway station on the ridge.

The approach to Glacier Basin follows the old Everett and Monte Cristo Railroad grade into Monte Cristo. Currently the bridge over the South Fork Sauk River is out, forcing hikers to cross on a large cedar log. However, a new road to Monte Cristo is being built as part of the Monte Cristo cleanup project, which will eliminate this issue. The walk to Monte Cristo is a flat and easy, and the four miles to the townsite passes quickly. Once you arrive, cross the bridge over ’76 Creek and head up Dumas Street past a few shacks and historical markers. The street hits a junction, continue straight ahead to find the beginning of Glacier Basin Trail #719.

The trail begins by following the remains of a railroad grade that was built in the 1890s to support the mines. As you continue on the trail the thick forest of cedar and fir soon begins to recede, and you’ll find yourself walking through underbrush and catching sight of Glacier Falls in the distance. Glacier Creek tumbles down from Glacier Basin in a number of cascades of varying sizes, some hidden in between folds of rock, appearing and disappearing as you approach. At times you might notice a partially exposed pipe along the trail. This pipe once funneled water from the falls to the power plant for the Justice Mine.

From here, the trail quickly becomes steep and rough, climbing straight up the flanks of Mystery Hill with little in the way of switchbacks to smooth the route. At the top of Glacier Falls a ledge provides a good rest stop before pushing on to the most difficult portion of the trail. Rocky and very steep, use caution as you pick your way up sections challenging enough to prompt helpful folks to leave ropes tied to trees to help you along. Eventually, as the trail rounds Mystery Hill and heads into the beginnings of Glacier Basin, the route begins to level out. Here, Foggy Peak stands guard opposite the imposing spires of Wilmans Peak, named for Fred Wilmans, one of the original Monte Cristo prospectors.

Continue into the basin following the trail as it meanders along next to Glacier Creek. The trail splits at one point, one path heading up into talus fields and bringing you closer to mine tailings and abandoned adits, the other follows the creek and is less accessible when the waters run high. Either way you will soon find yourself at the end of the line, staring up at the rocky peaks that line Glacier Basin’s walls. Starting from the east is Cadet Peak or The Cadets, which line up along the ridgeline before surrendering to Monte Cristo Peak to the south. Swinging west from Monte Cristo Peak, the Wilmans Peaks and Spires steal the show, before dropping off at beginning of Mystery Ridge and ending at Mystery Hill. The tree-covered mound in the middle of the basin is known as Ray’s Knoll, and there are established campsites there.

Explore the basin or find a nice rock to settle down on for lunch. If you’re hungry for more climbing, there are routes up to the ridgeline, which will give you long views of the surrounding mountains, as well as Blanca Lake tucked in the neighboring valley.

This is not an easy hike, and it is likely a little too long for most day hikers. Some of the distance can be removed by biking to Monte Cristo, but hauling your bike across the South Fork Sauk River isn’t for everyone. However, this does make for a decent weekend backpacking trip, and you’re unlikely to meet too many other folks on this less-traveled trail.

To get there, take I-5 North to Exit 194. Follow Highway 2 for about two miles. Stay in the left lane and merge onto Lake Stevens Highway 204. Follow for two miles to Highway 9. Take the left onto Highway 9 toward Lake Stevens. In just under two miles, you’ll reach Highway 92 to Granite Falls. Take a right and follow for about nine miles to the Mountain Loop Highway. Take the MLH for 31 miles to Barlow Pass. Park and find the gated Monte Cristo Road on the right side of the road, opposite the trailhead parking lot. -Nathan

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