Copper Creek / Lightning Peak

6/6/2015

 

The trail guides don't give much of a description for the Copper Creek trail. Trip reports from previous hikers don't paint a pretty picture, making statements such as "Not worth the effort", "No significant payoff" or "Not enough bang for the buck". My dad taught me long ago that if I listen to the critics, I'll miss out on some great things, be it movies, plays, books, or as in this case, trails. Don't take me wrong - this trail is steep, and not blessed with pastoral lakes or panoramic vistas. You do, however get a few great views along the trail if you just take the time to look. Copper Creek cascades down some pretty severe terrain, so there are waterfalls and rapids, small canyons, tall old-growth trees, and glimpses into the past. You see, portions of this trail were originally built in the early 1900's to access the copper and manganese mines that can be found alongside the trail (and are worth the side trips to investigate). What we found most abundant on this trail was peace and quiet.

Located on the far side of Lake Cushman in the Olympics, the setting is idyllic. The trail guide gave very poor directions to the trailhead, however, so we initially headed out on a trail that took us to the Skokomish River. There are certainly worse places to get lost. We met a very nice local lady who directed us to another trail off the river that intersected the road which, in turn, would take us to where we needed to be. We enjoyed following the river upstream, taking off our boots to ford it in one place, then re-crossing via downed trees in another. Mike and his chocolate lab, Roxy, were my hiking companions on this trip, and Roxy had the time of her life romping and splashing through the river. I love watching the exuberance of a lab at play.

Once we reached our trailhead and signed ourselves in on the register, we tried to match Roxy's enthusiasm as we headed up the trail. It started out fairly benign, but as soon as we crossed the first footbridge, the kid gloves came off and we started up, up, up. I'd like to quickly mention that at the lower portion of the trail, the creekbed is dry. However, further up, Copper Creek is fully flowing. At some point about 1/3 of the way up the trail, the creek hits a fissure and diverts below ground. Cool, right?

It wasn't long before even Roxy lost her enthusiasm. To simply say this trail is steep just isn't giving it credit. It's STEEP. All the way to the top. I'd like to say we powered all the way to the top like locomotives, but I'm really more like the little engine that could. If I don't end up with buns of steel when all this is said and done, I'm going to be really annoyed.

With a great deal of huffing and puffing, we finally made to our destination - the upper ridge of Lightning Peak. It was here we gratefully broke for lunch. The solitude up at the top was almost complete and I could feel absolute serenity wash over me as I dined on my smoked salmon, sharing bits with Roxy.

From inside one of the Brown Mule mines

After a much-needed respite, we again donned our packs and headed back down. If the trip up the trail was tough, the trip down was tougher. In more than one spot we marveled that we had just come up this trail. As usual, I struggled with the down, but not as much as I feared. Every muscle group in my legs, plus a few I didn't know existed, were put to the test on both the ascent and descent. We didn't cut any time off of our climb time on the way down, but picture if you will, going down stairs for 2 solid hours. By the time we got back to Mike's truck, I could no longer feel my knees. I could feel my feet though, and they weren't happy with me - I really need new boots, not that different boots would have helped much on this one. We decided to visit two of the mines on our way down and the coolness of the air within was a refreshing break from the heat of the day, especially since even my sweat was sweating.

This was a good hike and gave me a better picture of where I am physically. I am stiff and sore, but considering the severity of this trail, I expect to be. I am still questioning my ability climb Mt St Helens in September, but my confidence level is being to increase again. I know what trails still lay ahead in our conditioning schedule and I think I'm right on track.

And for the record - I'd hike this one again.

Distance hiked: 5 miles
Elevation gained: 2400 ft