14. FLAPJACK LAKES

OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK

Subalpine lakes tucked in the high serrated divide separating OlympicNational Park from the Mount Skokomish Wilderness. It’s a long haul tothese two lakes, but most of the way is via a gentle or moderate grade.Strong hikers and trail runners will have no problem reaching them withina day. But others may want to plan on spending the night here at the lakes’ delightful backcountry camping area.

Start your hike on the North Fork Skokomish Trail which begins by following an old road bed decommissioned in the early 1970s. Traverse a luxuriant bottomland of big ancient cedars, Douglas-firs, and moss-cloaked big leaf maples. After passing the Staircase Rapids Loop Trail the trail comes up upon the tumbling river. The way then traverses an old burn passing by big snags and gradually moving away from the river. At 3.6 miles reach a junction just before Spike Camp. Now head right and start climbing out of the river valley. After passing through a marshy area of big cedars, come to Madeline Creek in a narrow ravine. Cross it via a sturdy bridge and continue climbing. Skirt a hillside and

work your way up the Donahue Creek ravine. The way, now considerably steeper parallels the cascading creek. The climb eases just before a junction. Here a trail leads left to the Black and White Lakes.

The Flapjack Lakes lie 0.6 mile straight ahead. Set in a basin at 3850 feet, they are ringed by subalpine forest and the rugged spires of the Sawtooth Range. A trail travels 0.8 mile around the western lake. If you spend the night, consider the 1.3 mile side trip to the Black and White Lakes or the 1.4 mile side trip to 5000-foot Gladys Divide beneath the impressive summit of 6104-foot Mount Cruiser.

Highlights: Two subalpine lakes; old-growth forest; backpacking Distance: 15.4 miles (R/T) Elevation gain: 3050 feet Difficulty: difficult Permits: National Park or Interagency Pass Hiking Season: Mid-June through October Notes: Backcountry Camping Wilderness Permit Kid-Friendly: Yes Dog-Friendly: Prohibited GPS waypoint: N47 30.968 W123 19.691 Trailhead Amenities: Ranger Station, campground, privies, water, picnic tables Contact: Olympic National Park, Wilderness Information Center; www.nps.gov/olym Maps: Green Trails Oly. Mountains E 168S Trailhead Directions: From Shelton, travel north on US 101 for 15 miles to Hoodsport. Left on SR 119 and proceed for 9.3 miles to a T-intersection. Turn left and continue 5.4 miles (road becomes FR 24) to a junction. Right, 1.2 miles turning right at the Staircase Ranger Station for trailhead parking.