Leif Nesheim

The Olympic Discovery Trail is awesome. I can't wait to try out some of its newest sections west of Port Angeles. In the meantime, I visited a short section that's one of my favorites between Sequim and Port Angeles in an unsuccessful attempt to meet up with some hiking friends.

I thought we were going to meet at the Morse Creek parking area at 11 a.m. I got there at 11:02 and either missed them or was in the wrong place. Either way, I had an enjoyable hike.

This portion of the ODT starts by crossing Morse Creek via a lovely trestle bridge. The 400-foot trestle curves gently to the north as it heads over the coursing waterway below. Volunteers rebuilt it in 1999; a large informative plaque commemorates their contribution.

Several anglers tried their luck from the bank below. One young man cast a line from the bridge itself; I don't think he was having much luck as he had to cut his line from the trees. I'm not sure how easy it would be to haul a fish some 60-plus feet to the bridge, let alone return it to the water if need be.

The highway bustles on the left and fences keep hikers and bikers out of the backyards of trail neighbors on the right. Several dogs barked at me and my hiking companion - my in-laws' Formosan mountain dog Shasta - as we passed. My new puppy, Dodge, isn't fully leash-trained yet and I wasn't sure how he'd do on an unfamiliar trail; besides, Shasta needed the exercise.

Fortunately, Shasta did her doggie business early in the hike and I was able to dispose of it without having to carry a smelly bag throughout the hike. One of the hassles of being a responsible dog hiker is disposing of canis familiaris' all-too-familiar pieces of feces. A particular pet peeve of mine is when other dog walkers leave land mines, so I certainly didn't want to join their foul ranks.

Anyhoo ... The trail at first is on a bed of crushed rock as it turns north and gradually descends. The trail becomes paved shortly before reaching the strait, about a mile into the trail. Soon after are some lovely coastal fields - and a really neat-looking tower house on the right.

Shore cliffs rise to the left, topped with wind-wracked fir and pine. To the right, the rhythmic surge of the slate-gray sea pounded its steady beat beneath a leaden sky. A chill wind poured ashore from the water, pungent with the scent of the sea.

The paved trail follows the shore with many places to access the rocky gravel and sand beaches. A bench at the curve is a great location to soak in the scenery. If it had been warm, I might have sat for a spell. As it was, I moseyed along.

Overhead, gulls wheeled while bufflehead ducks and cormorants bobbed in the waves. In the distance, the M.V. Coho ferry made its steady transit from Victoria, B.C., toward Port Angeles.

The low mountains of Vancouver Island barely were visible across the water and beneath the dull sky.

I walked the rim of the breakwater - a sign warns it can be dangerous during storms, but in fair weather it provides the best, albeit windy, views.

The trail follows the shore for two miles. I stopped after a mile where there is a great view of the U.S. Coast Guard station on Ediz Hook. I watched the Coho pass by the station before I turned back. Oh yeah, there are a few

areas here and there along the way where mud and debris from slides has been cleared from the trail, but some remnants and signs remain.

Extending the hike is easy enough, just keep going. The paved trail turns to gravel as it veers away from the shore through the former Rayonier Mill site, where there is parking and an additional access location. After a gate, the trail continues along the shoreline to Hollywood Beach in downtown Port Angeles, about five miles from Morse Creek.



Leif Nesheim is hiking columnist and a former reporter for the Sequim Gazette. He is editor at the Montesano Vidette. He can be reached at editor

@thevidette.com.