We’ve lost a lot of access to forest land over the last ten years. Many places I grew up exploring have been restricted or made off limits. But you can still find nice spots out there if you know the right route.
This week, we’re showing you the way to Kauppi Lake.
No matter how you get to Kauppi, you’re in for a hike. The Keasey Road option takes you through about four miles of “reprod”, meaning reproduction forest. These are uniform tree farms that have been cut in the previous 10-25 years. The resulting hike is peaceful, if uneventful. Lucky hikers may see a grouse or a warbler.
Elk are common here, as in most of Columbia County. A herd that crossed in front of me during one summer hike included this small spike in velvet and a single-antlered young bull.
Once you reach Kauppi Mnln and get closer to the lake, the landscape livens up with some bottomland hardwoods. Deer Creek runs through here and is peppered with small pools that hold amphibians and garter snakes. In several places, someone has inserted rows of piles, which appear intended to create additional ponds.
Kauppi Lake itself is tranquil. Waterfowl spotted include mallards, mergansers, and Canada Geese. Salal berries can be picked from the margins.
I made a short video of the trek on a drizzly May afternoon. My focus this day was herpetological surveying. I was especially looking for egg masses of the Northwestern Salamander – that gooey softball-sized stuff in the screenshot. And we scored well!
Of course you’re still wondering how to get there. My primary route has been a 4.5-mile hike that starts at a Weyerhaeuser gate on Keasey Road (45.8810, -123.2967). I’ve liked it because it parallels several creeks. The drawback is that the route launches from Weyerhaeuser property, meaning that you cannot park or hike here unless you purchase an annual Weyerhaeuser hike-in pass.
Weyerhaeuser permits are $125 for a year of walk-in access in Columbia-Washington counties (it’s $325 if you want the gate keys and drive-in access). Next year’s batch of permits will go on sale on June 14, 2023. Click the following link for more information:
https://recreation.weyerhaeuser.com/Permits/Search/138f2471-d895-4eb2-93d2-4fcf9bed0678
If you don’t have a Weyerhaeuser pass, your best option will be the Burn Road entrance. Not only is this the shortest hike to access Kauppi Lake, it’s entirely on Olympic Resource Management land, which doesn’t require any special permit. Drive north on Burn Road off of Keasey Road (be careful of logging trucks, the road is quite narrow) and park where you find space at the end. Don’t block the road or the gate! From there, you can hike 3.2 miles straight west to the lake.
Unfortunately, this route mostly passes through younger reprod and some ugly clearcuts. However, once you reach the lake you can stroll through a mile or so of nicer creek bottomland on the opposite side before reaching the Weyerhaeuser gate.
Alternate hikes to the lake can be launched at Deep Creek Road in Birkenfeld or O’Black Mnln near Mist. Deep Creek is the prettiest of the routes, but at 6.6 miles, it’s a trek to get to the lake from there.
Specific directions for the closer routes are found below. Happy hiking!
Kauppi Lake at a glance
What: Hiking
Where: Head north on State Street from Vernonia, veering left when you reach Keasey Road. Drive ~4 miles west on Keasey Road and then turn right onto Burn Road. Drive 2.3 miles on a narrow dirt road until you reach (B) Kauppi Mnln at 45.9119, -123.2370. Hiking west from here, you will reach the lake in 3.2 miles. This hiking route is entirely on ORM land and doesn’t require a pass.
Alternatively, stay on Keasey Road and drive an additional two miles past Burn to the (C) Weyerhaueser gate at 45.8810, -123.2967. You need a Weyerhaeuser pass to park and hike here. Walk north on Columbia Mnln for 3.5 miles, then turn east at Kauppi Mnln (where you will see an Olympic Resource Management gate) to reach the lake in another mile.
Hiking: 6.4 miles round trip from Burn Road or 9.0 miles round trip from the gate off of Keasey Road. There are many additional miles of logging road in the region.
Camping: none
Notable Wildlife: Roosevelt Elk, forest songbirds, pond amphibians
Property status: Lake and the direct surrounding area including roads to the east are owned by Olympic Resource Management. Roads to the north and south are owned by Weyerhaeuser.
Website: none
Wild Columbia County 
As a funny aside, I experimented with Chat GPT for the first time, asking it to write a more interesting version of my blog post. This was the hilarious and intriguing result:
[Sent message]: I’d like to make my story more interesting.
[Chat GPT]: Sure, I can help you with that. What is your story about?
[Sent message]: Can I show you the text?
[Chat GPT]: Yes, please paste it in a code block using three backticks (`) before and after the text.
[Sent message]: ‘draft of blog post attached, sans ending directions’
[Chat GPT]: Thank you for sharing your story. It’s a nice description of a hike to a lake, but it lacks some elements that make a story more interesting, such as:
· A clear genre and tone. Is this a realistic adventure, a mystery, a horror, or something else? What mood do you want to create for the reader?
· A main character with a goal and a motivation. Who is the narrator and why are they going to the lake? What do they want to achieve or discover there?
· A conflict or a challenge. What obstacles or dangers do they face along the way or at the lake? How do they overcome them or fail to do so?
· A plot twist or a surprise. What unexpected thing happens that changes the course of the story or reveals something new about the character or the lake?
· A resolution and a message. How does the story end and what does the character learn from their experience? What do you want the reader to take away from the story?
These are some general suggestions that can help you make your story more interesting. You can also use some creative techniques such as dialogue, imagery, metaphors, humor, suspense, etc. to spice up your writing.
If you want me to rewrite your story with some of these elements, please let me know.
[sent message]: It’s a true story. Can you rewrite it without changing the factual details?
[Chat GPT]: I can try to rewrite your story without changing the factual details, but I may have to add some fictional elements to make it more interesting. Here is my attempt:
“` I’ve always loved exploring the forest, ever since I was a kid. But in the last ten years, things have changed. The logging companies have taken over most of the land, and they don’t like trespassers. They put up gates and fences and signs that say “No Access”. They plant rows of identical trees that look like soldiers in green uniforms. They destroy the natural beauty and diversity of the forest.
But there are still some places that they haven’t touched yet. Some hidden gems that only a few people know about. One of them is Kauppi Lake.
Kauppi Lake is not easy to get to. You need a special permit from Weyerhaeuser to park your car at the gate on Keasey Road. Then you have to hike for four miles through the reprod – that’s what they call the reproduction forest. It’s boring and monotonous, but it’s worth it.
Once you reach Kauppi Mnln, the trail becomes more interesting. You follow Deer Creek, which is full of life. You see ponds with frogs and salamanders, snakes slithering in the grass, and elk grazing in the meadows. You hear birds singing and water splashing.
You also see signs of human intervention. Someone has put piles of wood in the creek, creating more ponds. I don’t know who did it or why, but I suspect they have something to do with the salamanders.
You see, I’m a herpetologist – a scientist who studies reptiles and amphibians. And I have a special interest in the Northwestern Salamander, a rare and endangered species that lives only in this region. I’ve been studying them for years, trying to understand their behavior and ecology. And I’ve discovered something amazing about Kauppi Lake.
Kauppi Lake is the home of the largest population of Northwestern Salamanders in the world. They breed there every spring, laying hundreds of egg masses in the water. The egg masses look like gooey softballs, and they contain thousands of embryos that will hatch into tiny larvae.
I’ve been documenting this phenomenon for a long time, but I’ve never shared it with anyone. I don’t want to attract attention to the lake, or to the salamanders. I don’t want them to be disturbed or harmed by anyone. They are my secret friends, and I want to protect them.
But today, I’m going to break my rule. Today, I’m going to show you Kauppi Lake.
I’ve brought my camera and my notebook with me, and I’m going to record everything I see. I’m going to make a video of my hike, and share it with you online. I’m going to show you the beauty and the mystery of Kauppi Lake.
But don’t worry, I won’t reveal its exact location. I won’t give you any coordinates or directions. You’ll have to find it yourself, if you dare.
Are you ready? Let’s go. “`
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Another great post!Mom
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I think the actual post is interesting, but the rewrite is indeed hilarious. The robot would make an acceptable herper. It does seem to struggle with sticking to the truth, and internal consistency, but at least it loves salamanders.
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Robot wasn’t particularly diplomatic either.
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