There is, I believe, a hormone or something emitted by a woman's brain that allows her to forget the pain of childbirth in order that she will ensure the survival of our species by having successive children. Hikers have that same anomaly. We must. Otherwise what would drive us to return to the difficult trails? I hiked this same trail last year and voluntarily returned to hike it again this year. Not without trepidation, but returned nonetheless.
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| Bill makes his way up a typical section of trail |
The Copper Creek trail is short and to the point. It starts out steep, then gets steep, and finishes off ... well, steep. There is no huge payoff at the top; no sweeping vistas, no craggy summit. It is for this reason that many people bypass this trail for others in the area with more 'bang for the buck'. I like the trail for that precise reason - one thing for certain you'll find on this trail is solitude.
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| Andrea on a more civilized section of trail |
The trail to Lightning Peak isn't without its benefits. Copper Creek is beautiful and unique in that it disappears into a fissure and finishes it's trip to the Skokomish River underground. Up until that point, it runs wild within the confines of a narrow canyon. The trees grow tall and the understory is lush and vibrant green. There are two small mines about 1/4 mile in, and another one 1.4 miles up the trail, all dating back to about 1915. This last one we went in search of but couldn't locate. The trail itself follows the route equipment was hauled, via mule, to the upper mine.
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| Tamer portion of Copper Creek |
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| Crossing Copper Creek |
In 2.5 miles we reached the summit of Lightning Peak. We had just climbed 2,000 feet of elevation and we were ready for a well-deserved break. We sat on logs amidst the clouds to eat our lunches. Our conversation died quickly as we each keened our ears to appreciate the absolute nothingness of the silence that surrounded us.
As we (slowly) made our way back down the trail we encountered three small groups of hikers headed up. I was surprised because you rarely encounter anyone else on this trail. All other life on the trail had sought shelter from the light rain and we again felt the isolation one associates with this trail.
Upon returning to the car I was able to look back more fondly on the trail. I was tired, but not exhausted. My quads & knees held up much better than they had last year. My 'new' issue in my fibulas had arisen, but not as severely as on recent longer trails. Everyone in our little group did great on this challenging hike. It has been rewarding to watch their progress and cheering their accomplishments. In time the memory of the more challenging portions of the trail will fade and when they do, you will find me hiking up to Lightning Peak again.
Hike 23 of 52.
Distance: 5 miles
Elevation Gain: 2,000'
Max Elevation Achieved: 3,200'
As we (slowly) made our way back down the trail we encountered three small groups of hikers headed up. I was surprised because you rarely encounter anyone else on this trail. All other life on the trail had sought shelter from the light rain and we again felt the isolation one associates with this trail.
Upon returning to the car I was able to look back more fondly on the trail. I was tired, but not exhausted. My quads & knees held up much better than they had last year. My 'new' issue in my fibulas had arisen, but not as severely as on recent longer trails. Everyone in our little group did great on this challenging hike. It has been rewarding to watch their progress and cheering their accomplishments. In time the memory of the more challenging portions of the trail will fade and when they do, you will find me hiking up to Lightning Peak again.
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| Our group at the Summit; Bill, me, Andrea |
Distance: 5 miles
Elevation Gain: 2,000'
Max Elevation Achieved: 3,200'
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