Who: Matt, Julia, Megan, Jeff, Joe, and Jack
Length: Allegedly 13.9 miles out and back
Some say that this hike was life changing. Others disagree.
Arrived the night before and camped at Big Creek campground for an early morning start. Heavily debated on whether to hike or not to hike this trail due to concerns about the mileage during dinner. After some heavy persuasions from Joe and false promises of Matt jumping in the lake at the top, we agreed to take on the challenge.
Trail head is located at the southeast entrance of Olympic National Park. Right off the start, we were fully immersed in the lush greenery and humidity that the rain forest had to offer. The first 4 miles along the North Fork Skokomish trail were easy and relatively flat. After that, the next 2 miles on the Flapjack Lakes trail were moderately strenuous with some nice switchback and incline. The final mile to the top was relatively steep. A little bit tiring, even for experienced hikers.
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| Flapjack Lakes and Mt. Cruiser |
As we reached towards the top, the trail opened up to a view of Flapjack Lakes and Mt. Cruiser in the distance. There was a ranger station and plenty of camping spots near the lake. As we found out, certain spots around the lake offered a view that was way nicer to sit and rest at than others. Our group took a long break at the top and waited for Jeff and Jack to jump into the lake, which did not end up happening. It was pretty chilly at the top. On our way back to the trail, we witnessed 'one of the proudest moment of [Jack's] life' - some incredible rock skipping.
This trail offered a taste of the Olympics with some difficulty. Not as great of a payoff as other hikes, but certainly had other features to offer. The weather was also gloomy and cold on the day we hiked it. Can definitely see this as a great lake jumping spot when the weather is warmer.
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