Toleak Point Notes

General Description:

Firstly, these notes are just a rough guide and general notes on what I have experienced during this hike. Please do not substitute the following information for common sense and experience, but please DO let me know if you notice something that could be changed on my page.

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The hike into Toleak Point on the Olympic Peninsula is definitely one of my favorites. The hike, which starts at the Third Beach Trail head, south of La Push and West of Forks, is about six and a half to seven miles one way and fairly easy for everyone regardless of physical conditioning.

After a start at 267 feet above sea level, we descend to Third Beach and Strawberry Bay in about 1.2 miles through virgin rain forest. This is a popular beach for families doing day hikes/walks, fishermen, and beach combers. There is then a .7 mile walk along a sand and pea gravel beach until we hit our first overland trail at Taylor Point lasting for 1.7 miles and climbing to a max of 280 feet. Taylor Point can not be rounded at at any tide (ok, ok, there may be an extreme negative tide that may safely allow it once in a lifetime) and you should ALWAYS plan on taking the overland trail. Overland trails on the WA coast often involve a steep climb, which sometimes encompass the use of fixed rope ladders and stairs. After this overland trail, complete with spectacular views of the rugged coast, we arrive at our first tide-sensitive area that is best handled at a med tide or less. Another ½ mile on a rocky beach will bring us to Scotts Bluff which is our main tide sensitive rounding. Ideally we want to be here at a low tide of 1.2 feet or less, but a high or low pressure system over the area can change that by bit. If rounding Scotts is not possible, another overland trail, climbing about 75 feet and lasting about .3 miles, will take you safely over the point and deposit you at Scotts Creek…just past the bluff. After Scotts Bluff, the rest of the trip is an easy 2.4 mile beach-hike on hard packed sand to Toleak Point. Along the way we will pass The Giants Graveyard and Strawberry point, which has a few tent sites as well, but is shy of water unless it has been raining for a while.

A view of Strawberry Point and The Giants Graveyard from Toleak Point.

The whole hike should take about 3-4 hours at a moderate pace.

The hike is fairly easy, but you will get some exercise walking in sand and climbing rope ladders. Once at Toleak Point, the best camping is on the North side of the point, with several tent sites scattered in the trees, from Toleak Point to Witch's Hat. Water can be collected from Jackson Creek just south of the point, and an abundance of fire/drift wood can be found right at the point.

Day hikes from Toleak can include an incredible trip through Strawberry Point, a beach hike to Sacrifice Pit, a hike to Goodman Falls and beyond. Beachcombing, claming, swimming, sun bathing, wildlife watching, body surfing, kite flying, climbing on sea stacks, and exploring tide pools, are other activities that will keep everyone interested.

General notes:

Make sure your car is cleaned out prior to the trip just in case we need you to drive. If you are not a driver, plan on tossing him/her $30 or so for ferry/gas/wear & tear. Cars get broken into at the trail head...don't bring anything (cd's, cassettes, purses, bags, etc.) other than your backpack and a small amount of extra clothes for the drive home. Take your wallet and all other valuables with you on the hike. This will not only reduce your risk of loss, but also that of the driver. The only extras I will bring are a clean tee-shirt and dry pair of socks for the drive home. These I just strew around the car when I start the hike to make it look like old underwear no-one would like to steal.

It is easiest to wear your hiking clothes for the ride over, but I tend to take the harder route of changing in the parking lot.

There is a US$5 registration fee in addition to the daily fee of US$2/person. Just bring some cash to give to who ever winds up registering as the group "leader". That person will then send in a check for the group when home. Don't leave money at the registration area.

I start the hike fully hydrated by drinking a quart+ on the drive over. In addition, I start the hike with two quarts of water in my pack and usually wind up still having a splash when I get to camp…which gives time to get and filter more water, set up tents/camp, gather wood and build a fire, etc..

All water must be filtered or treated. Also, the water on the coast is filled with tannins which, is harmless to drink, will tend to clog filters quickly. Because of this, you may want to bring an extra one or two or be prepared to back flush and/or clean your filter periodically.

There are wilderness outhouses located at the Third Beach Trail head, at Third beach, at Scott's Creek (just south of Scott's Bluff) and at Toleak Point. The door-less outhouse sitting high above the beach at Toleak, definitely offers the best views of the rugged coastline! Please be sensitive to the wilderness aspect and do not throw any garbage into the outhouses. A couple of Ziploc bags may be in order if you need to pack anything out that is not readily bio-degradable.

I recommend teaming up with 2-3 people for tents, stoves, cook gear, and water filters. Cooking for more than 3 people is not very efficient since the size of the meals is too much for small backpacking stoves. It is possible to have larger groups, but will require some teamwork, and either extended meal plan where you cook, eat a little bit, and then repeat, or more than one stove.

If you want help planning a meal—let me know.

• Cheap and light food? Instant soup, top ramen, bread, macaroni & cheese, etc.

• Light food? Freeze dried dinners, jerky, dried fruit.

• Heavier but tastier and cheaper than freeze dried? Steak, sautéed veggies, bacon and eggs, chicken, fruit, salami and pretty much any other fresh wholesome food you can think of.

Remember, if you plan a lot of cooking, you have to carry a lot of fuel. Cooking during the day is not easy because we will be out playing.

A good extra food item is Top Ramen. The noodles are essentially sugary crackers that can be eaten dry if you are unable to start a fire, or are out of stove fuel. The flavor pack will make a stew of slugs and nettles taste better, later, if needed.

If you want to bring alcohol, bear in mind that 151 and Kool-Aid is the lightweight standard and grain derivatives can be put into Lexan bottles as a weight saving measure which also gives you the flexibility of having another water bottle if needed. However, on such an easy hike, you should feel free to bring whatever you want as long as you realize you have to pack out the empty containers as well as packing in the full ones. A case of beer, although possible, is not my first choice. Bottles of wine are nice, but with the difficulty keeping the temps correct, a larger, lighter box of wine is probably just as good. Take the bladder out of the box prior to the hike to reduce weight and volume...oh, and we also have found that the bladders make a very nice seat cushion when either full of wine, or blown up with air. Yes, we found them to be strong enough to safely support the weight, but if you wind up covered in wine, please email me a photo.

Bring some fire starter that you can pick up at REI, or most sports store.

Coons are a pain! You MUST have all your food protected in a bear-proof container or a coon-proof container that is hung. My favorite container is a 3-5 gallon old paint, laundry soap, or donut glaze (the best because there is no residual smell!) bucket that has been washed clean, and I have several of them if you want to borrow/have one.

Anything you would like kept dry should be wrapped in plastic bags. For instance, I put a plastic garbage bag inside my sleeping bag stuff sack and also wrap all my spare clothes in plastic.

We will have some group gear such as a couple of tarps, a saw, ropes, water filters, etc. to spit up between in the group.

Pack it in…pack it out. Please burn all clean (free of petroleum based products and chemicals) paper and pack out your non-paper garbage such as any cans, glass, plastic, etc.. There may be a bit of debate on how harmful the effect of burning garbage is, but no one really wants to debate it on this hike.

If you have any questions, comments, or a good note I should add to my list, please call 206-320-9010 or email me at napi@fun2fly.com.

A sort-of-complete checklist of gear might be:

The ten essentials:

• Map (Green Trails La Push, WA #163s)

• Compass (Small and simple is fine)

• Sun protection (hat, lips, lotion, glasses)

• Extra Food (Power/candy bars, Top Ramen, dry soups)

• Extra Clothes (Socks! Etc, wrapped in plastic)

• Headlamp (With extra batteries and bulb)

• First Aid Kit (including all your personal medications and desired vitamins)

• Fire Starter (Very important in the NW)

• Matches (Water proof, of course, and also a lighter)

• Knife (Swiss Army Huntsman is my choice)

Clothes:

• Boots

• Camp shoes

• Socks

• Liners

• Inner layer of poly-pro and/or underwear, including a poly-pro tee shirt

• Mid layer of mid-weight fleece

• Outer layer/shell

• Shorts

• Fleece and silk hat/balaclava

• Gloves—I go with light weight wool, but fleece is much more kewl.

• Gaiters

Shelter/Sleeping

• Tent

• Pad

• Bag—down is not really recommended in the rain forest, but can be used if you take care to keep it dry at all times.

Cooking/camping

• Tarp to string overhead and keep the rain off

• Stove and fuel

• Fire starter

• Matches and lighter

• Pots/pans/utensils/cup

• Cleaning pad

• Purell—waterless anti-bacterial wash

• Biodegradable soap—I never wash my pans/etc. on a backpacking trip, but just wipe things  out and figure the heat from the next meal will kill what ails it.

• Paper towels—a nice touch, especially since I never wash my pans in the woods!

• Food for all meals—hot drinks as well

• Drinks—including iodine or water filter

• Two water bottles

• Leather camp/cooking glove/s

• Bear/coon bucket—also doubles as a water hauler

• TP

• Rope/cord

• Repair kit

• Dental floss and tooth brush/paste.

• Headlamp with extra batteries and bulb

Packing and Hiking

• Backpack

• Pack cover—or take care to wrap everything you want kept dry

• Ziploc and/or plastic bags

• Stuff sacks

• Watch

Misc:

• Sewing kit

• Towel

• Bandana

• Camera

• TP

• Binoculars

• Book

• Bug spray—probably not needed in the late winter

• Whistle

• Molskin and waterproof tape for your feet are a nice idea

• Tide Chart

• General notes on the hike or a guide book

You certainly don’t need everything on this list, but it gives you something to think about. There may also be things that are NOT on this list that you really would hate to live without. Think about what you use/enjoy everyday and consider bringing it with you. Again, the hike is pretty easy, so weight should not be a huge concern.

The rough coast and tide pools of Toleak Point.