Hike @ Key Forest

This morning Scott, Teresa and I along with 5 unruly dogs hiked at Key Central Forest.  It was cold but blessedly dry.  The trail had a lot of puddles from the recent rains, but it actually wasn’t super muddy. All but one dog -Princess Rosie- barreled through the puddles.  There were more people there than we had anticipated, but still empty enough that the dogs got some good off-leash time. In all we completed 3.15 miles. Oh, and Teresa harvested a bag full of chanterelles, which was very unexpected for this time of year.  It was another successful Yoh! hike. 

We completed both the NW and SW loops.

Hike @ Tin Mine

A group of us tried and failed to find the Tin Mine on our hike this morning, but we managed to get really, really wet. The directions posted by the WTA were not great and there wasn’t much signage on the trail. Once we made it through the clear cut area we ran into an old service road. We spent the next half hour hiking back and forth trying to figure out which way to go before it started pouring down on us. At that point we decided to call it a day and headed back the way we came. The trail had pretty much turned into a creek at that time, and we were so happy when we finally reached the parking lot.  I would definitely come back again on a dry and sunny day as it appears there are some great views to be had, just not today. We did see lots of mushrooms and Teresa managed to harvest a bag full of chanterelles. In all we completed 3.09 miles with 576 feet of elevation gain. 

View of Tahuya Lake. On a clear day you should be able to see Mount Elinor, the Brothers and Mount Constance in the distance. 

Picking some huckleberry.

L to R: Teresa w/Haven, Logan and Aspen; Scott; Tammy w/Maya; Miranda w/Briar.

Hike @ Dry Creek

On Sunday morning four people and two dogs did a short hike at Dry Creek trail in the Hoodsport area.  We lucked out and had nice weather on this first day of autumn.  We parked outside a gated road and had to walk about 1/3 mile to reach the trailhead. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until we reached the trailhead that I realized I had forgotten to put the NW Forest pass up in my car. Michele offered to run back to the car, which was awesome, and didn't take nearly as much time as it would have if I had walked back to do it. Once that was done, we headed on the trail that starts by meandering around Lake Cushman before steadily climbing. The trail was in good shape with only one spot of mud.  We saw lots of mushrooms which was cool.  It’s definitely that time of year! Teresa and Michele did some foraging while Tammy and I decided it was too risky for us amateurs. In all we did a little under four miles with a bit of elevation gain. It was a great way to usher in the new season. 

Michele, Teresa and Haven

Maya enjoying the water.

Turkey Tail

Lobster mushroom

The dogs enjoyed some water sport on our way back to the car.

A cool tree house on the private road.

Haven enjoyed a berry snack.

L to R: Michele, Tammy, Susan and Teresa

Michele and I stopped for obligatory Olympic Mountain ice cream in Hoodsport.

Hike @ Taylor Mountain

This morning our Yoh! group hiked the Whiskey Still Trail at Taylor Mountain.  The instructions were easy to follow until it left out a very important step at the very end, but luckily, we figured out which way to go and didn't add any additional mileage to the hike.  It was already long at 4.89 miles with a lot of hills! I was so ready to be done by the end!  The dogs had a great time and even got some off-leash time for the second half of the hike.  We encountered just a few people and two horses, but tons of slugs!  There were lots of wildflowers in bloom as well.  It was a beautiful morning for a hike!

We started on the Holder Ridge Trail.

Michele & James were today's designated tree huggers.

L to R: Scott w/Harvey & Rosie, Matt, James, Michele, Miranda w/Briar

Hike @ Woodard Bay

The four of us had a nice & relaxing hike this morning at Woodard Bay in Olympia.  We did the loop trail then walked to Weyer Point where we saw beautiful views of Henderson Inlet, several cormorants & a couple harbor seals.  It was a little chilly, but dry.  In all we hiked 2.62 miles with only 93 feet of elevation gain.  There were some new additions to Weyer Point since we were last here in 2017.  It was a great way to kick off the Memorial Day weekend!

View of Woodard Bay from the parking lot.

Michele, Teresa & Scott

We found some oyster mushrooms!

Everyone in Yoh! is a tree hugger!

More oyster mushrooms. 

Susan & Scott at Weyer Point.

Lots of cormorant nests in the trees.

Teresa picking some salmon berries.

Michele wanted some, too!

The deets.