By Chelsea Royer
How many of us had intentions to do all kinds of hiking this year and never made it past the Lake Sylvia trails? While Lake Sylvia State Park is beautiful with its own type of variety, it is a very small sampling of hikes to be discovered here in the Pacific Northwest.
It can be a daunting thought – wandering out into the wilderness where you’ve never walked before, where the city lights’ reflections are well out of sight and cell service is non-existent. Many of us have children or dogs, limited time and limited skills or endurance. All of these factors keep us from pursuing a free-spirited and adventurous hiking trip in the way our hearts desire. If this describes you, I want you to meet Douglas Scott.
Introducing Douglas Scott: a GraysHarborTalk writer, nature photographer, hiker, and author of several Pacific Northwest hiking guides. A Northwest native, Douglas has a deep-rooted passion for the outdoors and the wild West’s “secret” places that are experienced primarily by the dedicated hiking community. The beauty of the Peninsula fascinates Douglas – his desire is to see that beauty appreciated by a wider variety of people and hikers.
Having hiked over 600 miles since May 2014, one may describe Douglas as a hiking addict. Self-admittedly, if he doesn’t hike at least ten miles in a day several times a week, he begins to feel restless. However, this endurance doesn’t impact his perspective when writing trail guides. Douglas pays close attention to his work and recommendations. Do you want to know what hikes would be great for your dog? He has a list for you. Do you have small children or can only walk a one to three mile hike? He has a list for you as well – a list that covers, not merely the popular or well-travelled hikes, but also the hikes that explore old growth forests, rivers, waterfalls, and easy to access portions of the Olympic Peninsula Wilderness.
Though he grew up in Western Washington, Douglas’ experiences are not limited to the Olympic National Park. Having spent three years abroad and two of them overseas, Douglas has followed trails through the mountains of China and remote paths of Europe.
Despite all of his time exploring other cultures and territories, Douglas is exactly where he wants to be. “The place I feel the most at home is Grays Harbor. You can go anywhere in the world, but when you come back, you recognize how unique it is because it’s still not as developed as everywhere else,” says Douglas, who finds the most pleasure hiking in remote areas.
He loves the fact that he can find trails without cell service or other people for miles. “Finding new trails out here is probably the greatest experience I can have. It’s also addicting, because once you start hiking to a different mountain peak, you get a better view, and then a better view, and you don’t want to stop,” Douglas explains.
One of Douglas’ favorite hikes is through Enchanted Valley where he says you can get to a place where if you yell, your voice echoes seven times. At a safe distance, you can hear the sound of spring avalanches falling down the mountains. The clarity of the air casts a spell on all those who find their way up the ten mile hike and Douglas insists that if you take the time to travel there, you will be hooked on hiking for life. In fact, some of the best hiking experiences Douglas has had is while taking new hikers out into the Peninsula. Most people will talk the majority of the hike, but once they reach their destination or get to a viewpoint, they go speechless. For those who have never been hiking, the beauty they see is unrivaled.
Douglas’ website, Exotic Hikes, reflects his passion for getting people out into the wild. “I realized we live in the most beautiful place in the world. And this generation is not getting out and experiencing more than one or two places in it (the Olympic National Park),” says Douglas sadly. This is partly due to the fact many of the hikes Douglas enjoys are not shared or talked about much. Instead, more popular hikes and spaces receive the majority of reviews and attention. Douglas’ mission is to reveal the hidden and help people access parts of the Pacific Northwest they never knew existed.
If you are interested in experiencing what has Douglas so hooked, check out his book, Fall Guide to Olympic National Park: 2014.
Though most people wind down their hiking trips in the Fall, Douglas insists it’s one of the better times to go hiking.
Something to note, is that Douglas attempts to stay accessible to any hikers who may have questions. With his contact information readily available on his website, Douglas is an eager reference. Enjoy learning new history, new paths, and new sights at Exotic Hikes and begin loving where you live!
