Continuing from where we left off in the previous post, we spent this last weekend in historic Interrorem Cabin in the Olympic National Forest.
We had the cabin for two nights. The first night, was just Lori and me. Lori’s brother, Dan, and his sig-o, Lauren, joined us the next morning from Tacoma. That’s when things got real crazy. Yep, hiking, Settlers of Catan, and the Whole30. Let’s just say that last one took the weekend’s minimalism to a whole other level.
In the last post, I also mentioned a few good hikes nearby. Murhut Falls trail was the meatier of the hikes over the weekend.
Coming in just under two miles total, and 300 feet net elevation gain, the hike wasn’t threatening to break any records. Yet, a stroll around the Olympic rainforest, among old growth trees and raging waterfalls, is always rewarding, no matter the length of the trail.
Plus, it was a rare opportunity to trek around in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest in the dead of winter and not have to deal with snow or freezing temps.
Afterwards, we took a little drive up 101, stopping at a small seaside community aptly named Pleasant Harbor. Pleasant, indeed. They also had a pretty cool little pub with a nice outdoor area above the Marina office.
Farther up the road a bit, we stopped off at Dosewallips State Park, which wasn’t much to look at from the main parking lot. However, there’s a fun little tidal trail on the north side of the river that is definitely worth a stop.
Given the frostiness and relentlessness of the sea wind — and that none of us wanted to shell out the parking fee to subject ourselves to said frosty and relentless sea wind for longer than absolutely necessary — we spent about 15 minutes total walking to/from an elevated platform that would have been infinitely more interesting on a warm(er) day…and I look forward to returning on that one day in late August…someday.
A headlamp was almost a necessity for a nighttime visit to the latrine in the far-flung reaches of the property. It’s always fun afterwards to see how long it will take for Lori to realize she’s still wearing her headlamp. The current record stretches into hours. Or at least that’s how long it feels when I’m talking to her and trying desperately not to laugh.
And yes, that is some crazy Whole30 action going on back in the kitchen. Ghee whiz.
You may be curious how Interrorem got its name. We are too. It’s kind of a mystery to everyone. Some folks seem to think that it’s a play on the word “interim.” Apparently, the cabin was originally built to be the interim ranger station for the National Park. As the interim period became longer and longer, so did the name…
That’s quite the tree in the backyard! Can you spot Lori?
The cabin, as seen from its lonely vault toilet. Might not seem like a long way, but it might as well be on the moon when your finding yourself doing the ol’ morning shuffle to the latrine.
Beyond the toilet are two short and very worthwhile hiking excursions: the Nature Trail/ Interpretive Loop (0.3 mi) and the Ranger Hole trail (1.6 mi).
The brief, yet informative, Interpretive Loop tells the story of Interrorem and Olympic National Park’s first rangers, in addition to providing information on the fauna and flora of the area.
The Ranger Hole trail, on the other hand, traces the actual path that early rangers followed most days to the river to fetch water and fish — 0.8 miles each way, and uphill on the way back (watering holes are often cruel that way, it seems).
Arriving at the hole, the morning sun bathed the banks of the Duckabush River in brilliant sunlight, but the immense trees lining the river left the Duckabush in shadow. Yet, the striking blue-ice color of the glacial runoff raging below still shone brightly, and Lori and I were both glad to be up on the banks rather than down below attempting to fill our water pails.
