Explore Hood Canal

This is taken from the area near Belfair Washington where several land conservancies, including the Cascade Land Conservancy, have been doing great work.

Road work is changing the face of Potlatch State Park on Hood Canal as the Skokomish Tribe puts in a housing development on the ridge above and beside the park. Should be in fine shape by the summer tourism season. By the way, there is a good, clean and very affordable laundromat at Potlatch, something good to know if you have been camping in the wild and are not ready to come back to civilization yet.

There is a nice trail near to Staircase that is not too steep and difficult, and full of wonderful footbridges, creek views and plenty of large, second-growth forest. It is Copper Creek Trail, and you get there by crossing the bridge on your left just before you reach the ranger Pay Station at Staircase—this is the bridge kids jump off in the summer. Go straight about a quarter mile and look for a SMALL wooden trail sign just before a small parking area, both on your left. Park, as your hike starts here. The copper mine is above the creek to your right at about 1/4 mile on the trail, but is very, very hard to see. You’ll have to cross the creek. The “cave” goes back about a hundred feet, far enough to take the explorer into TOTAL DARKNESS. You must scramble over a small wall with a trickle of water before reaching the end of the tunnel. Back on the trail, it grows steeper after the first 1/2 mile, but is a joy to take because of how well groomed it is kept and the high quality of the rock and bridge work on it. It goes up past 3,000 feet, loops and returns. I have not been to the very top to know if any views reward the hiker.

Two key and important sources ought to be used when first learning wild mushroom identification. Both are vital. First off, I’d recommend going on your mushroom hunts with a capable hunter, someone well known to have identified and safely eaten them for years. They don’t need Ph.D.s but they must have your trust, and for good reason. Seeing a mushroom in the wild, in its habitat, is so important in being able to repeat that FINDING process in the future, and alone. As an important backup, I would load up on at least two books on the subject: David Arora’s “All that the Rain Promises, and More,” a great, fun pocket guide, as well as “The New Savory Wild Mushroom” by Margaret McKenny and Daniel Stuntz. You’ll want to read the descriptions over and over, check the photos against what you see in the woods, and STILL hand over your booty to a competent “hunter/friend” until you gain enough experience to call your own shots, so to speak.

Let’s face it, there must be more than 200 million mushrooms in Mason County. That’s a low estimate. While Pierce, King and Thurston County are running out of forested land, Mason County harbors an exquisite environment for chanterelles, matsutakes, lobsters, and other fine edible mushrooms. Coming upon a golden or white patch of chanterelles, one is awestruck with the bounty of nature. Only please don’t expect the locals to print you maps or show you directly where all these wonderful mushrooms are. Learn the nuances of wild mushroom stalking, know how to identify the edible from the poisonous, and enjoy the pleasure of the hunt in wild zones of the Olympic National Forest. Sure, you may hunt in vain for a while, but soon you many find a vein of plenty.

Don’t let a rainy day stop you from enjoying the Olympics. Early last fall three friends and I took the day off to have a picnic up the Hamma Hamma River Recreation Area. Rain was constant but the air was warm. So we parked our two SUVs back to back and opened the hatches, creating a roof canopy where we were able to open our wine, cheese and other delicacies. We parked right at the turnout when you cross the Hamma Hamma Bridge, about 7 miles in from Highway 101. We had a great time while the river roared below. Would do it again if I have the chance.

After the snow melts off in the higher altitudes, the logging roads above Lake Cushman and Hood Canal open the way to marvelous camping and hiking destinations. Camping is free and virtually unlimited, but care needs to be taken so the campsites remain pristine. Up here you’ll be camping on the shoulders of 6,000-foot peaks, and face to face with wild bear, cougar, coyotes, beaver and fox. Ask at your Visitor Centers how to get into this vast wilderness.