Day 1, Seattle to Three Forks, by Katie Spires

Getting to know each other on the ferry, as the hustle and bustle of downtown Seattle fades away behind us. Crossing the Salish Sea, we contemplated the legacy of the recent ice age, reflected on the channeling of the Duwamish, and acknowledged the Duwamish people whose homeland was forever changed when they hosted the Denny Party at Alki Beach just 170 years ago. Schmitz Park and rugged Alki Point are the few remaining reminders of the original ecosystems of West Seattle. Our next stop would be the Jamestown S’Klallam Reservation, were we would acknowledge the S’Klallam people as the original stewards of the northern Olympic Peninsula where the bulk of our course would take place.

A new sign graces the entrance of Olympic National Park in Port Angeles, featuring the the Coast Salish language as a nod to the first peoples of this land.

At first glance, the first day of this epic trip doesn’t look like much: We hiked four miles downhill. But if you only look at mileage and difficulty as indicators of accomplishment, as I have been guilty of in the past, then you overlook the fact that 11 nervous strangers met each other for the first time, navigated a few hours of traffic, ferries, and awkward small-talk, arrived at an overwhelmingly bustling National Park visitor’s center, met the 12thstranger of the group, acquired passes and bear canisters, repacked all the food and gear, freaked out when they realized how heavy the packs were, squished back into the cars, drove up a windy road too quickly to a trailhead, slowly walked down the four miles, supported an unfortunate knee injury and redistributed pack weight, made camp for the first time, and began a transformative journey together. That’s a lot to overlook.

Day one of nine in the wilderness was packed with logistics, nerves, travel, and weight. These things seem annoying, but they are the foundation of a good adventure: proper planning prevents poor performance. We had also been primed by many readings discussing the normative conceptualizations of wilderness, its history, critiques, and calls to action. These ideas were bouncing around a little aimlessly, waiting for refinement. Though the logistics and planning and preparation of mind and body is essential, they are boring to read so I will spare you and tell only of the hike. We began the hike from the Deer Park Trailhead into the Gray Wolf Valley, walking through misty subalpine habitat. There were spindly subalpine firs scattered around the lupine-filled meadows – though there were many other types of wildflowers as well. We immediately encountered cougar scat, inferred because scat was located in a large scratch in the ground (pictured below).

Cougar scat, deposited in a scrape at the side of the trail.

The trail meandered through an old burn, where one could see fire scars on the thick bark of douglas-firs at the edge of their range. The presence of lodgepole pine also indicated fire, because their cones are covered by a resin that melts in the heat of a fire, allowing the seeds to be dispersed. This is the first hint that though possibly dangerous and destructive, fire does indeed play a natural and necessary role in our ecosystems.

We briefly stopped to listen to the low “whomp whomp whomp” of a blue grouse’s mating call, and then quickly descended into a mossy forest in a state of competitive exclusion. We noticed various mycoheterotrophs, such as candystick, (pictured below) because of the lack of light in the understory. Mycoheterotrophs are super cool because they are organisms that lack chlorophyll and the ability to photosynthesize. Instead they get sugars from the mycorrhizal mats that connect under the soil surface. The young dark forest quickly gave way to a doug fir and salal-dominated forest.

A large Douglas-fir in an otherwise younger forest. Perhaps a legacy of fire, or a legacy of climate fluctuations in the last 800 years. Douglas firs dispersed up slope around 800 years ago in a warm dry period. Cooling in the last 500 years caused more cold-tolerant species to disperse downwards amongst these giant Doug-firs.

Candy stick, a mycoheterotroph.

When we were almost down to our first campsite, Three Forks, Katie came running down the trail to tell us our teammate Hanna had injured her knee. We dropped our packs, sent up a rescue mission to get her and her pack while everyone began to cook dinner. We ate our first meal together improvised at the trail side. When Hanna caught up and she had eaten, we split up any extra weight we could carry from her for the last mile to the camp. Our sense of security was rattled and any idea of certainty in the plan was lost. This was the first challenge of the trip and set the tone for being flexible, compassionate, and team-oriented; with darkness settling in, and being too far down the trail to retreat, a sense of self-sufficiency and teamwork that perhaps only wilderness can afford began to envelope us.  We 12 strangers immediately bonded to dedicate ourselves to helping Hanna continue the trek. Setting up camp in the dark at Three Forks concluded an eventful Day One.

Cameron Creek from our campsite at the confluence of the Cameron and Grand Creeks.

After this incredible experience, I can see that the cooperation, resilience, and flexibility we demonstrated on the first day is essential to all endeavors, especially building more sustainable, equitable societies and navigating the surprises of life.

Living in the time we do now, in a geologic epoch named the Anthropocene to signal the intense effects humans have on Earth’s biogeochemical systems, wilderness spaces are important. That is not to say they are untouched. Wilderness is as much a construction of our minds as well as management choices. Wilderness is important because it reminds us that life is both resilient and fragile at the same time, and that we are so human; small, yet so influential together, subject to nature’s abiotic processes, and part of an ecosystem rather than separate. We need to be reminded that there is a lot of life out there worth saving, and that we are capable of using our collective force and collaboration to be good stewards to the earth – whether one’s motivation is for yourself, your kids, it’s own sake, or for all of humanity. This trip was particularly special because in a group you are constantly reminded of the importance of collaboration, compromise, and flexibility to complete similar goals. Building a more sustainable future will take facing challenges with courage and collaborative support – something I believe wilderness can teach all of us.

Descending through a 1980s burn. Douglas-fir and lodgepole pine are regenerating here, both fire adapted in different ways.

And last but not least, here are a couple of my sketches from the trip:

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3 thoughts on “Day 1, Seattle to Three Forks, by Katie Spires

  1. I wish we could have seen the “sketches” you mentioned, Katie?
    We enjoyed reading of your adventures, meeting your companions, leader, and noting your observations of such a beautiful place.
    What an experience for one we know loves the outdoors, hiking and climbing. You are one lucky young lady!
    Love you to the moon and back! Oma and Opa

    • Sketches didn’t load properly. Maybe Katie can get them back in there again. A number of students did some nice creative art and writing.

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