From May 19, 2018 weekend.
My first overnight backpack of the season. Great choice for anyone with kids. There are good camping spots just 2.3 miles in, without much climbing. I took the second campsite. It's right on trail, but easy to set up a hammock by the water, out of eyesight (and hearing) from whatever is going on up above. A short distance further is a historic shelter (Bolt Camp), which is fun to explore. There are scattered campsites along the way, any one of them would make a good base camp for exploring the many miles of up and down trail along Lewis River (no extreme climbs). There aren't many spectacular vistas , but fun and relaxing nonetheless. I didn't make it all the way to the lower falls trail head, but was pretty close.
My view straight ahead at camp:
My view looking up:
A bit before Bolt Camp, I found a pile of bones. Not sure what it was, but it must have been pretty big. No skull. I may have found a "clue" in Bolt Camp shelter.
You know you're in the Pacific Northwest when...Banana slug keeping watch over the animal remains.
From what I read, the Bolt Camp Shelter was built in 1931 as a “red cedar bolt processing site using cedar shake bolts.” Workers took straight-grained, knot-free cedar logs, and cut them to the desired length. At this stage, though I’d naturally call it is “loglet”, it’s actually called a “bolt”. The bolts can be split to thin pieces of wood as shakes or shingles. The Bolt Camp Shelter was restored in 1991, and again in 2013 to repair damage from severe winter storms. Here’s a very sweet video on the 2013 restoration: "It's the love the forest. It's why I did it." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElAlR1B8LwA
"Beware the Leshen!" Could this be a clue to the pile of bones? Wiki tells me "Leshen" are woodland spirits from a video game (The Witcher 3), and are inspired by Leshy in Slavic mythology. Leshy are humanoid beings known to lead travelers astray and (of course) abduct children. They rule over the forest and hunting.
The roof is still in beautiful shape.
Gnarled, hollow trunk (or a Leshen home?)
So many mushrooms - these were all over. Thanks to Facebook's mushroom ID group for this: "Potentially Amanita aprica" and "Amaita gemmata is another one that looks similar to this."
White oysters. Thanks to Facebook's mushroom ID group for this: "Pleurotus pulmonarius (Oysters) on Alnus rubra"
Fairy Slipper (Calypso Orchid, Calypso bulbosa). I just learned these are fairly uncommon in our region, so I feel extra lucky.
The one grand view of the river gorge.
Lewis River Traverse Hike
Re: Lewis River Traverse Hike
iirc a tree had fallen on the bolt shelter shortly after it had a new roof. I'd have to go check my pictures from past years (maybe 09 or 2010...)
lovely place to hike, love that river
lovely place to hike, love that river
Feel Free to Feel Free
Re: Lewis River Traverse Hike
This is what it looked like in May 2011. I guess that's the tree that did the damage.
Re: Lewis River Traverse Hike
That tree was framed! It's innocent!
Re: Lewis River Traverse Hike
I take that to mean that you put it there.