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|  | | Location: | Olympic National Forest | Start Date: | June 16, 2007 | End Date: | June 17, 2007 | Major Drainage: | Queets River | Minor Drainage: | Sams River | Est. Total Distance: | 10 miles | Est. Elevation Gain: | 750 feet | Viewed: | 392 times |
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| | A few weeks before this trip I was flipping through the Olympic Mountains Trail Guide by Robert Wood -- I paused and read his description of the abandoned "Sams River Trail". He describes the stream in detail from its confluence with the Queets to the "Fourth Canyon", the latter extending a mile with a 20-foot waterfall at its head. This piqued my interest and soon I was zooming through Google Earth and perusing some maps. The original trail was abandoned after logging hit the area, and huge clearcuts scarred the landscape all the way to the edge of the creek. Judging from the second growth, I'd say this was 40-50 years ago. But luckily, the fourth canyon survived the saws, and old growth remains.
| | | | | | A late start on Saturday had me departing the truck at 2pm. I crossed the first washout and headed up the old abandoned road. It was in better shape than I expected, but they really tore it up in places. I came to a second washout, then a third, fourth, and fifth. The quality of the road was deteriorating, and young alders were becoming annoying. In places I used my tripod as a shield and plowed through with my eyes closed.
| | | | | | Shortly after the fifth washout, towering trees appeared on the left side of the road, and I knew it was time to descend. As I made my way down through the old growth, the soft rumbling of the Sams grew louder. I found a way down to the stream, only to realize the water pretty much went from wall-to-wall, and unless I wanted to get extremely wet, I'd have to stay well above the creek. Right around then, the rain started -- just enough rain to make taking photos challenging.
| | | | | | I worked my way up the canyon high above the creek. Most of the time I couldn't even see it, but if I heard the crashing sound of whitewater, I'd drop my pack and try to get to the edge of the cliff. I stopped for a break and took some flower shots. I was following a game trail, and the freshest tracks belonged to a bear.
| | | | | | I spotted what looked like a 12-15 foot waterfall, but there didn't seem to be any way to get closer or lower. It certainly looked like it could fit Wood's description, but I wasn't sure if this was the end of the canyon. I pressed on a little bit further but then decided it was getting late and I needed to set up camp and eat.
| | | | | | | | | On Sunday I got up at 6. It hadn't poured, but the constant soft rain had left everything drenched. I knew there was no way that I could stay dry today. I packed up, but left my pack behind as I crashed upstream. I went probably a half mile, and it was obvious the valley was widening and the tall canyon walls had ended.
| | | | | | I was already drenched, so I turned around, thinking I might find a way down to the falls I spotted yesterday. I found a steep ramp leading down halfway from the top of the cliff to the water, but it was a little sketchy and there was no way I was going to make it down to the water. Finally I had a decent view. The scale is hard to relate in these photos. I wondered to myself if this was it? Maybe I need to come back again to check further up?
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