This amazing hike is not for the faint of heart. It has narrow trails, switchbacks, steep drops, and involves ropes. So, while the views from the top are fantastic! Please be honest with yourself about your ability level as well as potential aversions.
I'm going to start this post by extolling the awesome-ness of this hike and then end with a disclaimer.
Onto the Awesome-ness:
This trail starts at the same parking lot/trailhead as Marymere Falls (see previous post for details) and begins with an easy walk through the towering redwoods. The trail for Mount Storm King veers sharply left at the intersection and is pretty much uphill from there. You walk through the forest with glimpses of the ridgeline opposite you with intermittent patches of wildflowers that add a pop of color to the greenery.
As you make your way up and up along the many switchbacks, you will finally come out of the tree line a bit. From there the already not-so-wide trail becomes even narrower with several parts close to drop-offs. None of us in our group ever felt unsafe on these sections, but we made sure to be aware of our footing.
For the final ascent, you travel up a very steep section with the assistance of ropes tied along the path. The footing is loose gravel/sandy bits, so it is fairly unstable. Hence the ropes to help give you traction and keep you upright if you slip (which I did several times and was thankful for my two-handed grip on the ropes).
The view from the summit is breathtaking but watch your footing as it is rocky and the last thing I'd want is to make it all the way to the top to fall because I wasn't watching my feet.
We stayed up there for a bit taking in the dramatic landscape with the steep mountains dipping sharply down into Crescent Lake below. I could not get over how the blues and greens in the water shifted with the winds whipping across it. Had a snack with the jays (they are bold!). Then headed back down.
Super glad we got to the trail early as there was a large group working their way up the ropes section which took a while for us to get back down as you have to wait until the ropes are free, and you can't see all the way to the bottom due to several curves in the trail. There were more people at the bottom of the ropes section waiting to ascend, and as there isn't a wide summit space I had to wonder how everyone would fit and be able to enjoy the views comfortably. Me, I like a little peace and quiet while I much and take it all in.
After our descent we headed over to the lodge (just a short drive or a longer walk from the parking lot) where we hit up the gift shop and then grabbed a delicious and well-earned lunch. If you have the time, I would definitely recommend. There is also a small beach area (I'm don't know if it's only available to individuals staying at the lodge) and a dock which gives you another beautiful view (with a very different angle) of Crescent Lake.
Ok, now for the disclaimer!!!
There are sections of this hike that the trail is not officially maintained by the parks service. This means that the trail and the rope section are kept up by the hikers themselves or good Samaritans. There are several very steep sections, several parts of the trail are narrow with fairly sheer drops right off the trail, and the last section up to the summit is a significant incline with unstable footing that is best/safely traversed using the ropes for support (lest you lose your footing and slide/tumble either back down or off the edge of the trail. The summit itself is not very expansive and also drops off on any side. I would not recommend this hike for small children, individuals afraid of heights, or individuals with lower physical ability levels (you know your body, so you be the judge). Keep safety in mind and don't be afraid to turn around. The "thrill of success" is not worth you injuring yourself or others. There was a gentleman we overhead at the lodge talking about how the last time he hiked Mount Storm King a woman became scared halfway up the ropes section. She froze and no one could get around her in either direction safely. There are so many other options for hikes in the area, so use your judgement and hike safely everyone!
Comments