Into The Buckhorn Wilderness
Day one: Tubal Cain Trailhead to Buckhorn Lake.
The start of the trip was a late one. Annie had to open at work. She was up at 3:50 AM. After she was off and back home, she was able to switch a shift around, and then we were off after that!
Arriving at the trailhead late meant the parking would be a little cramped when we would pull in. It didn’t help that anyone at the trailhead knew how to park, at all.
We loaded the last few things into our packs, and we were off into the forest. The first few miles was a gradual climb up through wild rhododendrons that were just about in full bloom. As you make your way up, you have a trail to your left that takes you into Tull Canyon and the Tubal Cain Mine. Tull Canyon is the almost final resting place of an SB-17, a search and rescue variant of a B-17. The SB-17 collided with a mountain ridge en route to a search and rescue operation. A few flight crew members did not survive the impact and slide down into the valley. After the wreck, the fuselage was salvaged and is now one of the two remaining B-17’s that are airworthy.
We made our way across copper creek and began the real part of the climb. The trail switchbacks it was through the forest and spits you out on an almost wide open hill side. That’s when you get your first real glimpse of Buckhorn Mountain. You’ll never forget that first glance. As we worked our way to the cutoff for Buckhorn Lake we slowed down and soaked up the sun and views. At 5.6 miles, you will reach the cut-off to the lake. Two creeks and a bit more climbing later, you follow a steep and rooted trail to the lake.
Buckhorn Lake was the highest I have ever seen it. We dropped our packs, set up camp and reluctantly dunked ourselves into the lake. It was a shock to the system. Rinsing off sweat had never been so difficult. After that, we rushed back to change and hang up the sweaty clothes we washed off. Then it was time to make dinner, have a nip of whiskey, and watch the sunset from our tent. That night was a beautiful one. Camped right on the lake, Buckhorn Mountain towering above and the rush of the waterfall that feeds the lake.
Buckhorn Lake to Iron Peak
It was a clear morning on the lake. We woke, made coffee, and broke down camp. The original plan was to hike from Buckhorn Lake to the Charlia Lakes. Once again, were back, zigzagging through the trees. After a quick mile and half, you break from the trees and fully witness the majesty that is the Olympics. You have a 360 degree view of the mountains. It’s one of those views you never tire of. Now that we had broken from the trees, the fun begins again. The snow was still covering much of the trail in the higher elevation. Instead of switch backing your way up, it’s a straight climb up the snow and hillside to try and avoid most of the snow. Once you make your way past, you’ll reach the saddle below Iron Mountain. You can see for miles. It was when we were reach the top of the saddle, we realized that reach Charlia lakes was out of the question. Seeing how much snow was still covering the area to the south of Marmot pass, we decided to have a shorter day, and camp on the saddle. That’s okay though. From our tent we could see Seattle, Mount Rainier, Adams, and St Helen’s.
The next morning was an uneventful one. We packed up and headed straight back down to the car. There were swarms of day hikers and the weekend was approaching. We thought it would be best for us to just pick up camp and head back home. We did make it back to the car in just over 2 hours.
Obstruction Point Snowshoe: A Winter Adventure in Olympic National Park
One of my favorite ways to get out in the winter is snowshoeing. it’s such a fun activity as well as great exercise. Getting out on a bluebird day in the mountains is one the best things to do in my opinion. Wandering your way through the snow covered forests and out onto a ridge where you can bask in the glory of the mountains around you is something you never get tired of.
Brandi basking in the rare February sun (Brandi is my trucks name).
Ice covered Hurricane Ridge Road
Annie and I headed to the Olympic Mountains to get some snowshoeing in. Specifically, we headed to the Hurricane Ridge entrance of the Olympic National Park. We reached the gate to the park shortly after 9 am The road up into the mountains wasn’t too bad. It was 35°F when we passed the gate. It stayed just about the same temperature until we were almost to the top where it only dropped about another two degrees. There was ice all over the road in the shaded areas as to be expected in the early morning. When almost to the top the road had a solid layer of ice over it.
The descent to Obstruction Point Road
Making the best of the sunny days.
After parking, getting our packs ready, and snowshoes on we hit the trail. It’s a fun experience getting onto the trail here as the snow gets higher. The trail starts behind the snowbanks. Which were about 4 feet high. Luckily someone had knocked out a large chunk of the snowbank for people to get up and on to the trail.
The trail down to the road is hands down the worst part of the entire snowshoe experience here. When we were there whoever cut trail followed a skiers track down. They took the most direct route down to the road. I followed it down but when we came back at the end of the day I went and cut a zig-zag track back up the hillside so it would be easier for others to come back up the trailhead parking.
Clouds rolling across the ridge.
Looking back towards sunrise ridge.
Soaking up the views.
Breaking trail.
After about an hour we hit a spot where we would stop and grab some lunch. We passed one other group in the same area who decided to do the same thing. As we had our lunch we could see one other group heading up breaking trail towards Steeple Rock I believe. I am not 100% sure about the name of it.
Overall, if you have the time to get away for a day to the Olympic Mountains you can never go wrong. The obstruction Point snowshoe it is a good beginner/intermediate level hike. It’s mostly flat with some slow longer uphill. If the trail is broken in it should be no problem at all. You’ll wander your way through dense forest open ridgelines with absolutely stunning views.
Had to get one of us together!
Have fun out there and stay safe!
Dungeness Spit - A quick day trip in Western Washington
It’s been nothing but rain here in Western Washington for the last few days. The days of sitting inside were starting to get to us, more than they normally do. Don’t get me wrong, this has been a weird winter. As I sit here and write this it’s 50°F outside and it’s the second day of February.
The 5 mile long Dungeness Spit located near Sequim, Washington.
Cliffs along the beach to the SW.
After watching the weather on NOAA.gov we finally decided that we should just go for it. After countless times of refreshing the page to check different places and seeing where was getting the least rain, we both jumped at the idea of heading out to the spit. The need for some beach time has been at an all-time high.
The view we have been waiting for..
Annie, about 30 seconds before she started laughing.
A pile of kelp strewn across the beach
Getting to the spit is a walk in the park, literally. The short drive into the refuge takes only a few minutes. You’ll pass parking areas for the cliffs and camping before you arrive at the final parking area and this is where you’re adventure will begin.
Once you’ve parked, it’s a short walk down a well-marked path to the beach. That first sight of the whole spit is truly breathtaking. Even on a cloudy overcast day. On your walk down make sure to slow down and read all the signs along the way. They are all well worth the read, especially if you have never been!
And no, we didn’t hike out to the lighthouse on this trip. We arrived a little late and didn’t have the time to make it out. Next time!
One last ocean view before we go.
Two image stack for depth of field.