Staircase Rapids Loop

Distance: 2 miles round trip
Critters: Banana Slugs

Flora: More ferns than you can shake a stick at

Sunlight only dimly reaches the floor of the forest on the Staircase Rapids Loop

While on business to the Ft. Lewis area of Washington State last month, I took a day to explore the area. I wanted to set foot in Olympic National Park and so I drove to the Staircase Area, which took me about an hour. My original intent was to hike the Hoh Rainforest, but that trailhead was 3 hours away. Let me tell you that the Olympic Peninsula is big!

Lake Cushman borders the route to the Grand Staircase area

Moss and ferns, moss and ferns!

I started freaking out the moment I stepped onto the Staircase Rapids Trail. The trees were the size of skyscrapers, the ferns the size of Volkswagen Beetles, and the moss looked like it would reach out smother you if you stood still too long. The forest was so dense that 10 Sasquatches could have been hiding behind each tree and you never would know it. I kept waiting for a giant Banana Slug to leap out and cover me in a blanket of slime. Step off the trail in this forest and you would be lost for the next 10,000 years. They would never even find your bones! And this was only 1 mile into the wilderness!

Typical Trail Segments

The Staircase Rapids Trail follows the Skokomish River and winds in and out of dense trees. The bridge was out at the far end, and although I had planned on fording the stream, decided not to when I saw the speed of the current and the large rocks I would have had to walk on. I am not sure the trail would have been much different on the other side. The forest seemed uniformly green to me. Sigh, I am such a spoiled Coloradan. In Colorado, as all my blog posts will attest, the scenery is forever changing. I wonder if I would get bored hiking on the Olympic Peninsula if that is where I lived.

Bark of the Red Cedar Tree

Sunlight glinting through the moss

I did find myself being drawn to the micro-scale since the macro-scale was so monotonous. This too can be hazardous. Some fellow hikers discovered me ignominiously buttocks up, face down in a pile of moss. I told them I was fascinated by the forest within a forest. From their facial expressions, I could tell they thought I was rooting around for magic mushrooms like some truffle happy pig.

Ferns!!

I had planned to spend the entire day in this area but decided to take the plunge and drive out to the coast instead. That was a very long drive indeed. Did I mention that the Olympic Peninsula is big?

Fungi with the river in the background

If you go to the staircase area, be advised that you may feel like you will never get there, or worse that you are lost on the back roads. There are very few signs guiding you to the park, and the main route travels besides Lake Cushman and all the splitter roads leading to lake-side cabins. The road also turns to dirt before it returns to pavement just before the entrance. That was particularly disconcerting.

River views

Rare glimpse of the Skokomish River in full sunlight

In the Staircase are is a ranger station and a bathroom, but no ranger on duty per say. There are maps to the entire park on the door to the cottage but the trail I was on was dwarfed by the scale of entire park. There are more strenuous trails in the area as well. To get to Wilson Lake, one hikes two miles with nearly 4,000 ft elevation gain. That is a 14er by Colorado standards. If the entire trip wasn't in the trees, I might have chosen that trail as an option.

Big Horn Sheep of Mount Evans

Ewe in a field of wild flowers. She is not as scruffy as some of the others

Big Horn Sheep have star appeal. Between a grid iron physic and showy head gear (only on the males), they fascinate us with their dramatic mating rituals and high country antics.

Young Males Sparring

I have lived Colorado for over 10 years, however, and this is only the fourth time I have seen them, and I have never seen an adult male, only ewes and young'ens. One of these days though my luck will improve and I will be able to provide you with a more iconic shot.

These photos come from Mt. Evans. Last summer I took some folks hiking on the Pessman Trail. After the hike we drove to the summit of the 14,000 ft mountain and saw many Mountain Goats but also this herd Big Horn Sheep. The herd members were all shedding their winter coats making them look scraggy and unphotogenic. The herd contained adult Ewes and juveniles both male and female. This is the norm.

And they're off!

I did not have much time to observe the sheep, but I did get this running sequence. Was it just juveniles at play, or was the group sick of the nosy, camera laden tourists?

Austin, Texas

Austin, capital of Texas

In November 2008 I traveled to Austin for a conference. I was anxious to see the city, having heard so many reports of how Boulderish it was. Like most pre-conceived notions, my mental image of Austin was shattered the moment we arrived.

Stalled Saturday traffic taken through the tinted window of my hotel

Austin is not small like Boulder and its party strip (6th Street) is more like Bourbon Street than Pearl Street. Being a larger city, it suffers from all of the typical woes, large traffic jams, a large homeless population, and vandalism.

The Texas State Capital was completed 1888 and its style is classified as Renaissance Revival, which is characterized by classical orders, round arches and symmetrical composition. The structural exterior is red granite, quarried just 50 miles from the site.

The same crests on the floor are on the exterior of the building.

The capital positively glows at sunset.

We had a bird’s eye view of the traffic because our hotel room overlooked the main freeway through town. We were amazed to see on a Saturday that it was at a dead stop. A local friend told us that weekends could be worse than weekdays because folks north of the city road trip south to San Antonio and these hordes have to pass through Austin.

The floor of the state capital showing all of countries that have at one time or another controlled the territory.

The large homeless population was not surprising given the climate, but was a detractor none-the-less. I was staying at the Sheraton near the Capital, but my conference was at the convention center. It was a 9 or so block walk between them. The route passed right by a very large homeless shelter and across 6th Street. Not a terribly scenic walk and one I did not like taking at night alone. If you visit the city, I would suggest staying south of 6th Street. There are more restaurants there and the area is just nicer.

Looking up into the capital dome

A few months before our arrival, someone tried to torch the governor’s mansion. Apparently, this was just pure mayhem and not so much a political statement. It is sad indeed to live in an era where such things are possible and probably condoned by a large number of people.

Exterior of the National Museum of the Pacific War. This side of it is Admiral Nimitz's childhood home.

Despite these revelations about Austin, we did have a great time. We took a road trip to Fredericksburg and the National Museum of the Pacific War, ate fantastic BBQ at the Salt Lick, and spent time in the LBJ Presidential Library on the University of Texas campus. We also dined at the Four Seasons and had fantastic “slap your mama” steak in an elegant atmosphere.

Tail end of the midget submarine. There is no way to photograph the entire thing. The display behind and under the submarine is that of a normal sized sub, so you can see the difference.

I had wanted to visit Fredericksburg because it is in the center of the hill country and I had heard that the region was both picturesque and filled with wineries. Toss in a premier WWII museum and you have the makings of a great side trip.

The exterior had monuments like this to all the Presidents who served in WWII

The drive through the hill country was very pleasant and once again very different from what I expected. I had been told it was comprised of rolling hills and trees. This is true, but one must recalibrate one’s idea of trees. I had pictured tall deciduous trees when in reality; the trees were short scrub oaks. I liked them very much because they reminded me of my hometown in California. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of a famed longhorn on the drive but instead kept spotting exotic animals. Apparently, the ranches in the hill country are known for raising exotics. At one point I was gazing out the window when a camel flashed before my eyes. I yelled out, “Holy F…, I just saw a Camel.” My two travel companions quickly looked as well and committed equally unpublishable verbal peccadilloes.

Plaques placed in the walls dedicated to ships and individuals

The town of Fredericksburg was nothing remarkable. It has a few shops that one can traverse in 10 minutes or so and only one winery in the downtown area. This winery happened to be a chain, which was very disappointing. Because we had a date with a side of pork, we did not have time to wander the countryside in search of tasting rooms. Instead, we focused on the Museum.

The garden, dedicated to the dead was the home of many creatures, oblivious to the deeper meaning of their habitat.

The National Museum of the Pacific War is a treasure not to be missed. It started out as a small museum dedicated to native son Admiral Nimitz but has grown extensively through the patronage of former President, and Naval hero, George Bush Sr. There is a large garden with plaques imbedded in the concrete commemorating ships and sailors, a Japanese peace garden, and a main building that provides a historical narrative for every single battle of the Pacific War. You need two days just to read all this material. In two of the larger bays, are an authentic Japanese midget submarine dredged up from the bottom of Pearl Harbor, and a bomber plane. Off site is another annex filled with larger planes. You cannot tour this additional facility on your own, but must go with a tour guide. We were out of time, unfortunately, and had to miss this part. It was on to the Salt Lick and our side of pork.

A propeller from a WWII ship made into a fountain.

I was really looking forward to sampling the many varieties of Texas BBQ. There were so many places to choose from the decision was not easy. Our local guide however indicated that the Salt Lick was THE place to try. We had quite a wait on the weekend but enjoyed listening to the outdoor music on the oak en-canopied patio. The Salt Lick does not serve alcohol, so it is BYOB. It is also “out in the sticks”, so purchase your beer before you leave Austin. I was impressed by the tenderness of the meat and the portions of all the sides. I was not too hot on the sauce. Every BBQ joint in Texas has a proprietary sauce. I am not sure I could describe this one very well except that it was pink. The interior of the place is dark and somewhat smokey from the large pit by the entrance. All the tables are family style so be emotionally prepared to sit neck and jowl with 20 of your closest friends. Despite the sauce, I would eat there again in a heartbeat.

The bushes around Fredricksburg were filled with butterflies

My final thing to say about this trip is a brief description of the LBJ Presidential Library. Presidential Libraries are actually archives and museums. There are 13 of them in existence but this was my first visit to one. I was born in 1965 so many of the events during LBJ’s term in office I have seen only in the pages of books. The museum presents his life chronologically and he was of course the President during the bulk of the Vietnam War. The parallels to modern day were quite striking. At one place in the chronology, you see a large picture of him with his head in his hands and a quote saying something like, “I know I shall be reviled for all I have done…at the time I saw no other solution, nor did I know how to get out of it”. They have taken his oval office and recreated on an upper floor. That was interesting to see, particularly the 60’s communications technology. On the top floor is a gallery of paintings of all the Presidents and a separate one for First Ladies. It was amusing to see Hillary Clinton in the one group and not the other! The museum is located on the University of Texas campus, which was very close to where we were staying and a nice place to walk around.

The waiting area for the Salt Lick. Much beer was being consumed.

The dark interior of the restaurant. I have no idea who the people were sitting next to us. Everyone was concentrating on the feast. If you go, I suggest not eating for about 3 days.

The fire pit of the Salt Lick. Those are ribs.

This was a great trip to see someplace new. If you are a live music fan, you will get more out of the city than I. I turn into a pumpkin by 10PM and most music venues are not even started by then. Still, Austin stylizes itself as the live music capital of the world, so please check it out. Every red-blooded American should visit Texas at least once in their life. It is a unique place with great people, great food, and wide-open vistas.

The LBJ Presidential Library on the University of Texas campus

Kenosha Pass-East

Distance: 8 miles round trip
Elevation: 10,000 ft to 10, 418 ft
Elevation Gain: 418 ft (net), 836 cumulative

Aspens and view abound on the east side of Kenosha Pass

The east side of Kenosha Pass is a wonderful fall hike. Within a half mile it traverses one of the largest Aspen groves I have seen (although certainly not the largest in the state). Additionally, the earth tones of the distant South Park combined with the crisp air will make you want to rush out and buy a pumpkin pie. Note I did not say bake one. I am not that domestique!

Entering the Aspen grove. This year the colors have been quite muted.

It is actually the Continental Divide Trail that transects Kenosha Pass so you can walk in either direction for literally hundreds of miles. We only walked 4 miles however, before turning around. The last time I walked this trail, I turned around at 2.8 miles because I has just returned France and was still suffering from a wicked virus. You can read about that trip on my Aspen Gauntlet post. It was one of my first blog posts. Tha post has a couple of pictures.

My friends had to drag me out the grove. I could spend the whole day taking pictures there.

The east side of the pass contains bathrooms, albeit not very clean ones, and a small parking area. During prime leaf peeping, this lot will fill up by 9am and then cars will begin to back up all the way to the road.

The first view of South Park

On our route, the east-side trail hits the Aspen grove at 0.5 miles, views of South Park appear at 1.76 miles, and the trail starts to descend at 2.89 miles. The trail is rocky in places with occasional nooks with stellar views. It winds in and out of coniferous forest, open meadows, and Aspen groves (some large, some small). I found the trail very easy to walk on and we made very good time.

At this point the trail begins to descend. You can see the Ponderosa Pines that dot the area.

There were a lot of mountain bikers on the trail, which got annoying, particulalry near the trailhead on the return. The Aspen grove was mobbed with toddlers and their parents and the bikers, kids, and dogs made for a gaggle we were happy to escape from.

An open meadow near our turn around point

This trail also makes great snowshoeing, but acheives true glory when the Aspens turn. Just get an early start or be emotionally prepared to mingle with the herd.

Another view of South Park on the return