LaCrosse Basin,  Olympic National Park,  Aug 12, 2002 - Aug 16, 2002     page 4 / 19

The trail continues downhill from the pass to the Upper Duckabush Camp. This section of trail is nearly all wooded and somewhat dry, only crossing a couple of creeks. We lost 2000 feet of elevation during this stretch. Tom and I ate some lunch at the camp which once had a shelter. All that remains of the shelter are some foundation stones, several logs and a fire ring.

After lunch we continued up the Duckabush river trail. It meanders up and down for a few miles, crossing several good creeks fed from the snowfields on Mt Steel and Mt Duckabush. Finally, we reached the largest of the streams. I neglected to see the note on the map stating "No bridge." We were required to ford the river here. We stood there and pondered the various routes, to determine which would provide us the best safety to wetness ratio! We removed our boots and socks, tied the laces together, placed them over our necks then proceeded barefoot across the creek. We headed straight across, more or less. The deepest water encountered came to my mid-calf level. Though the water was cold, the day was warm enough that it was quite refreshing. The flies were waiting for us on the other side so we dried our feet quickly, had a drink of water and continued up the trail.