Skokomish River Trail - Duckabush River

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Olympic Mountains
The Olympic Valleys are best hiked in one-way trips but arranging transportation can always prove tough. These are pictures of a trip my brother and I took in the early days of our outdoor pursuits. Our dad volunteered for the shuttle. The trip involved hiking from Staircase at just 800 feet elevation, up the North Fork Skokomish River, over just one pass called First Divide, then down the long Duckabush River Trail, nearly to sea-level at 400 feet of elevation. Because of the low elevation of the trip, we did it in spring, hoping the climb over First Divide wouldn't prove too bad. What we didn't expect were the hundreds of winter blowdowns in the upper Duckabush Valley that slowed us down. Luckily, we planned 4 days so we ended up with plenty of time, much of it spent enjoying the sun on Big Hump.
Distance: 33 miles
Highest Elevation: 4,688 feet at First Divide
Access: Good dirt roads
North Fork Skokomish Two Bear Camp Mount Steel First Divide shelter olympics First Divide olympic mountains olympic mountains First Divide Big Hump olympic mountains trail sign Big Hump skokomish duckabush map Big Hump Duckabush St. Peters Dome St. Peters Dome
North Fork Skokomish River Trailhead
First night somewhere near Two Bear Camp
Views near First Divide
Views near First Divide
Mount Steel
Duckabush - NF Skokomish Junction
Route up to First Divide
Route down from First Divide
Looking down the Duckabush from Big Hump
One of few views from the Duckabush Valley
2nd nights camp around the La Crosse Pass Trail
first divide map
Above: Map of the climb over First Divide Below: Map showing the entire route
Night sky over St. Peters Dome
St. Peters Dome
Camping on Big Hump in some welcome sunshine
Camp on Big Hump
Views near First Divide
Shelter along the way