Olympic Discovery

July 9-10, 1983

Discovery Lake © Ken James McLeod

The road was nasty as we took Martin Jensen's Toyota pickup truck up the mountain as far as could, in the search for Discovery Lake in the Wynoochee River watershed.

We hiked up the brushy creek from roads end to the lake where we discovered snow still lingering about the lake shore. The weather was quite cool and cloudy out. We tried a little fishing but to no avail. Off up the mountain we raced to the top of Discovery Peak 4,837 feet in elevation, which lies right on the Olympic National Park Boundary. Here on the mountain side, flowers were in bloom and the view of Mount Hoquiam at 4,909 feet was impressive as was the valley of Litchy Creek below. Clouds swirled about and hung heavy in the mountain crisp air.

Back at the truck later in the evening, we found a place to camp for another adventure the following day.....nearby Klone Lakes. And in the morning, we set forth up another nasty road and then located a rude way trail through logged off country. Amazingly, how stripped and barren the land is when left after clear-cut logging has been done.....it's no wonder as to why the streams are choked with silt. Truly an eyesore!

Up the trail we went and finally it wandered into the forest that hadn't been logged yet. Eventually, after about two hours and a 500 foot drop, we came to the Klone's.....all three we visited looked similar in nature with forest surrounding the shore.....all were very buggy with the biting kind! Fishing was poor with a tremendous amount of pressure observed. The lakes were all 52 degrees.....perhaps another reason as to why they are called Klone's?

The fish & chips in Aberdeen later were great to end another "Olympic Discovery" adventure.

KJM

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