TSHLETSHY CREEK TRAIL Abandoned trail, no longer maintained Length 16.2 mi/26.1 km Access Queets Trail USGS Maps Bunch Lake; Kimta Peak; Bob Creek; Kloochman Rock Agency Olympic National Park This trail has been abandoned by the National Park Service and has not been maintained for years, thus it is overgrown with brush and often blocked by windfalls, making it difficult to follow. Therefore it is truly a wilderness route, one that should not be attempted by anyone who is not experienced at cross-country travel. George Shaube built the trail in the 1920s for the Forest Service, with a six-man crew. The route branches right from the Queets Trail 5-6 mi/9.0 km above the Queets River Road and follows Tshletshy Creek-a steelhead and salmon stream-to the Queets-Quinault Divide, crossing the stream eleven times. The route traverses splendid stands of old-growth forest, and it is a good place to see wildlife. Elk and bear frequent this remote, seldom-visited valley, and the hiker will also see lesser denizens of the forest. Bird life is varied, and the harlequin ducks that nest along the stream are so unaccustomed to seeing people that one can approach them closely. Leaving the Queets Trail (480 ft/146 m), the path winds among big spruce trees to the Upper Tshletshy Ford, where the route crosses the Queets River, which at this point is broad and comparatively shallow. Nevertheless, the crossing requires caution, and one should not attempt it when the river is high. During late summer and fall, the greatest depth is normally about thirty inches. One should carry a couple of poles and lean against the current. A small cabin stands in the meadow on the far side. This is the Smith Place (0.2mi/ 0.3 km; 460 ft/140 m). More properly, it should be called the Shaube Place, because George Shaube homesteaded it in 1923. The cabin he built consisted of what is now the kitchen; the living room was added later. About 1932 Shaube sold the claim to Oscar Smith, who used the cabin as a hunting lodge rather than a permanent residence. Eventually, the cabin became known as Smith Place. Beyond the cabin the trail enters what might well be called the forest primeval. For the next half mile, between the clearing and Tshletshy Creek, the trail penetrates what is unquestionably one of the finest stands of old-growth Douglas fir and western red cedar in the Olympics. The colossal firs, many 7 to 9 feet in diameter, rise to great heights, possibly 300 feet or more. The path is difficult to find as it approaches Tshletshy Creek (0.8 mi/1.3 km; 480 ft/146 m), where the trail makes the first of eleven crossings. (The others are miles beyond this point, and the creek is not visible between this crossing and the next.) The creek bed is choked with boulders, logs, and debris from winter floods. Unless one can find a log across, it is a case of wade, although the stream is usually not deep after July. The forests along Tshletshy Creek consist of stands of Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, red cedar, and western hemlock. Beneath the big trees, little hemlocks and sharp-needled spruces grow in such thick stands that the trail is often hidden. The hiker has to force a passage through, and when the trees and brush are wet one receives a shower bath with every step. But the real barrier to progress is not the overgrown trail but the countless windfalls that have occurred over the years at various points along the trail. The logs are large and have not been cut out, making them difficult to climb over and under. After crossing Tshletshy Creek, the trail leaves the river bottom and climbs on terraces, where the route parallels the creek as it goes between a spur of Sams Ridge and The Chocolate Drop, a cone-like hill (1754 ft/535 m) that rises from the Queers bottoms. Then, after traversing the edge of another terrace or big flat, the trail enters the canyon and contours the base of Tshletshy Ridge. The creek roars mightily in the depths of the narrow gorge, which lies between Tshletshy Ridge and Sams Ridge. As it traverses the canyon's side, the trail climbs gradually and crosses numerous side streams. The forest is impressive-many big cedars, firs, and spruces are mixed among the ubiquitous hemlock. Gradually, however, the cedar and fir become fewer dominants, the hemlock and spruce more abundant. The trail descends to campsites at Tshletshy Creek (9.2 mi/14.8 km; 1360 ft/ 415 m), where it recrosses the stream. At this point one does not have to wade because a large spruce log spans the creek. Beyond this crossing the trail deteriorates and is difficult to follow. This is not a route for the novice, and the experienced backpacker will have to do a good deal of scouting. As a consequence one does well to travel a mile an hour through this section. This crossing is the first place Tshletshy Creek has been approached or has been visible since the first crossing more than 8 miles downstream, but the route now makes up for this indiscretion. During the next 5 miles the path crosses the creek ten times in order to take advantage of favorable terrain. In fact, at times the route uses the creek bed because windfalls make travel away from the gravel bars difficult. The creek bed is broad, evidencing the fact that great floods rage through here during the winter. One should watch for orange tags tacked to the trees and follow the easiest course. After traversing opposite a landslide that extends down to the creek from near the top of the ridge, the trail makes the final crossing (14.4 mi/23.2 km; 2275 ft/ 696 m)-and it is unique. During the summer and fall, the crossing is dry, although the stream flows just above and below. At this point the trail leaves Tshletshy Creek and improves but steepens as it climbs toward the divide through stands of western hemlock and silver fir. Because this area-known as Paradise Valley-is isolated and seldom disturbed by man, it is much frequented by elk, and one should be alert for a glimpse of the animals. At Lily Pad Lake, a small tarn with water lilies, the forest becomes subalpine, broken by small openings. Here one can look down and see the big meadow in Paradise Valley. The trail then goes by Delta Tarn, a little triangular lake surrounded by meadows. This is not a good camping place, however, because it is swampy and infested with countless mosquitoes. Above Paradise Valley the trail climbs sharply to the divide through stands of Alaska cedar and mountain hemlock. Huckleberry bushes, often heavy with fruit, line the path. The trail then tops the Queets-Quinault Divide (16.2 mi/26.1 km; 3600 ft/1097 m), where it becomes the Big Creek Trail.