Too much snow in the Mountains?

Head to the Coast-It's a Shore Bet!

This spring's cold and wet weather may finally be making an exit, but it'll still be some time until many my favorite high country trails will be snow free and accessible. Of course, this doesn't exactly help me out with my impending deadline on my Backpacking Book. I still have 22 trips to research and I need all the time I can get. The snowy hills however did force me to head to the coast to research the wilderness beaches of Olympic National Park. I have long wanted to hike the entire coastline and after two consecutive trips, I have pretty much hiked all of the Olympic beaches now from the Queets River to Shi Shi. Which beach is the prettiest? Hard to say, they're are so many special and gorgeous places along the entire coast. And which section of the coast is the most difficult to hike-Again hard to say because each section has its challenges, be it rounding headlands, traveling over slippery rock, across deep sands, fording creeks, or negotiating sand ladders up and over steep bluffs. I'll have all the details in the new book. In the meanwhile, if you are itching to get out and do some snow free hiking, my Day Hiking Olympic Peninsula book has plenty of good day hikes to Olympic Beaches--and to some pretty nice beaches along the southwest corner of the state, too. Check them out-and then perhaps in a few weeks I'll see you in the high country!

(photo-evening at Toleak Point)