Marmot Pass
Last modified
Oct 31, 2009 01:08 AM
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hikermom&digdig
The view from Marmot Pass. Photo by Jennifer S.
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Marmot Pass
— Oct 24, 2009
— Euphemism
Day hike
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Trail condition is excellent all the way to the pass, and beyond. No snow accumulation on the trail. The...
Trail condition is excellent all the way to the pass, and beyond. No snow accumulation on the trail. The ground is beginning to freeze starting around 5300', and some new snow accumulation was visible in the crevices on the north-facing cliffs above the last mile of trail before the pass. Buckhorn Mtn is still snow-free to the summit, so far as I could see from the pass.
Measured temp at the pass was 37F @ 12:15 pm under a mostly clear sky. It was beautiful, with a nice vista to the west, but the view didn't last long. I climbed the ridge south of the pass to approx. 6200', and would have gone farther along the ridge except that the clear weather abruptly began to deteriorate. In about half an hour, visibility went from miles to intermittently less than a hundred yards, and light, freezing sleet started blowing over the windward face of the ridge. The very fast approach of a towering Wall of White up-valley from the NE (along the route of the Tubal Cain trail) was quite dramatic to watch. I decided that was probably a good time to reduce my exposure by getting off the ridge, and reluctantly turned around at about 1pm. On the way down the weather continued to roll in very fast, quickly enough that by the time I reached the meadow below the pass the nearby cliffs were completely obscured and the temp was falling rapidly. By that time, the cloud cover was solid. This is a beautiful hike, and a great time of year to do it, but if you go you better be ready for sudden, radical changes of weather.
Marmot Pass
— Oct 10, 2009
— Sydney Kaplan
Day hike
Features:
Fall foliage
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The trail to Marmot Pass is in great shape and it makes its 10.6 round-trip length considerably easier than some...
The trail to Marmot Pass is in great shape and it makes its 10.6 round-trip length considerably easier than some of the shorter trails I've taken this year. There were six other cars at the trailhead when we arrived at 10:15, and several other parties arrived later. This is a popular trail, even on a cold and cloudy day, such as this one. The first 2.6 miles to Shelter Rock Camp goes through gorgeous forest along and above the Big Quilcene. There are a number of giant first-growth trees along this route. Luckily, the clouds were high enough to allow us good views when the trail entered the open slopes and boulder fields. I could see Glacier Peak and other Cascade peaks to the east, which seemed sunny in the far distance, whereas our skies were thick with clouds. We stopped for lunch at Camp Mystery, and glad we did, because even there it was so cold we had to wear gloves to eat. We figured that the Pass would be even colder. Some descending backpackers told us that it was snowing up there as they left the pass, earlier that morning. The snow had stopped and most of it had melted by the time we got to the pass, but the views west were still obscurred by clouds. There was no point in climbing the several hundred feet up the knoll to the south of the pass, which we usually do when we hike this trail. There would be no view of Mount Constance. Besides, because the days are getting much shorter, we didn't want it to become dark before we finished the hike.
Multi-night backpack
Features:
Fall foliage
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Awesome! What an experience. I spent the weekend backpacking through the area with a few fellow men from church. Blessed...
Awesome! What an experience. I spent the weekend backpacking through the area with a few fellow men from church. Blessed with absolutely beautiful weather all weekend long, we could not have asked for a better day to be up in the mountains. We started at the Tubal Cain Mine trail head and camped near the B-17 crash site in Tullis Canyon the first night. The next day we headed out to Marmot Pass. It was another glorious day with a few clouds passing through. Along the way, we stopped for lunch at Buckhorn Lake...although Buckhorn Pond seemed to be a more fitting name. The water level was pretty low with the deepest parts being maybe only 3-4 feet deep. At least there still were some trout in there. One of our guys managed to catch three (too small, so he threw them back). Afterwards, we headed back up the trail and made our way over Buckhorn Pass. From there on to Marmot Pass the views were absolutely incredible. The fall colors on the mountains glimmered in the late afternoon sun as the clouds quietly drifted in and out of the valleys. We made it to Camp Mystery about an hour before sundown and spent the night there. On the last day we packed up and hiked all the way back to TC, with three of us making a detour to summit Buckhorn Mountain. We took the steep trail from Marmot Pass which was pretty rough and tiring with our packs on--but it was totally worth the effort.
The view from up there at nearly 7000 feet was incredible. On a day like today, we could see as far north as Canada and as far south as Mount St. Helens. Essentially, we could see the entire Puget Sound region, the Cascades, and beyond. The buildings in downtown Seattle were clearly visible as well. To the west, the adjacent mountains and hills were covered in a brilliant display of fall colors. I've never seen a sight quite like it. Took some awesome photos. After admiring the views, we headed back to catch the ferry home. We stopped at Fat Smitty's along the way and conquered the world famous Fat Smitty Burger :) Fun times!
Marmot Pass - Big Quilcene River
— Aug 01, 2009
— RobbieJ
Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming | Ripe berries
Issues:
Bugs
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Great choice for hot weather lately: breezy, clear, wildflowers everywhere, plenty of shady breaks. Flies gradually increase during ascent, but...
Great choice for hot weather lately: breezy, clear, wildflowers everywhere, plenty of shady breaks. Flies gradually increase during ascent, but manageable with 40% deet anti-bug lotion.
Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Issues:
Bugs
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On a scorching 102F day back home, Shepherd and I decided we needed to get away to higher elevations and...
On a scorching 102F day back home, Shepherd and I decided we needed to get away to higher elevations and cooler climes, so we loaded the dogs and headed to Marmot Pass via Big Quilcene River Trail #833. Patches, Misnomer, Brittn, and Peter joined us at the trailhead, where the thermometer read 69 degrees at 8:30 am.
Fortunately, most of this hike is in the shade and the bugs weren’t bad as long as we kept moving. No mosquitoes, just nasty black flies and humongous horse flies. The trail is well-maintained and of a moderate grade, which makes the 3500 ft elevation gain feel quite modest. The trail crosses several small streams in its first 2.5 miles, where the dogs can cool off and drink their fill. Good campsites abound. From about 2.5 miles to 4.5 miles, there is no water available as the trail climbs past meadows filled with wildflowers just slightly past their peak and gives you grand views of rocky crags to your left. Why this stretch is called Poop-Out Drag is beyond me, as it’s neither a poop nor a drag, the views are breath-taking, and the few areas of hot, dry, exposed scree alternate with plentiful shade. At 4.5 miles, you reach Camp Mystery and some ice-cold springs. At 5 ¼ miles, you top out at Marmot Pass, where you get panoramic views of Mount Mystery, Mount Deception, and The Needles, as well as the Dungeness River Valley and Hood Canal just beyond the Big Quilcene valley. A quick scramble up the 6300-foot knoll directly south of the pass allows you even more expansive views of the peaks. Brittn and Peter hiked up to the 6950-foot summit of Buckhorn Mountain, where they enjoyed views of Warrior Peak, Mount Constance, the Strait of San Juan de Fuca and Victoria, Canada. At Marmot Pass, a cool breeze blew all the bugs away and we were blessed with a brief afternoon rain shower that cooled us and the canines down enough to enjoy the return hike in relative comfort. Saw no one on the trail as we hiked in, and ran into a trio of lady hikers, a solo hiker with 3 dogs, and two Boy Scout troops after we reached the Pass. Directions: US 101 along Hood Canal to 0.9 miles south of the Quilcene Ranger Station. Turn west of Penny Creek Road, go 1.4 miles and turn left on Big Quilcene River Road. This becomes FR 27 and at one point turns to the left. At 11 miles from US 101, come to FR 2750; turn left for 4.5 miles to the trailhead, Big Quilcene Trail No. 833. STATISTICS: Round Trip: 10.5 miles Hiking Time In: 2:30 (leisurely pace) Time Out: 2:10 Elevation Gain: 3500 ft (2500-6000 ft) Green Trails Map No. 136 Tyler Peak Permits: Northwest Forest Pass |
Driving Directions
From Quilcene drive US 101 south for 1.5 miles. (From Shelton follow US 101 north for 50.5 miles.) Turn right (west) onto Penny Creek Road. After 1.5 miles bear left onto Big Quilcene River Road (Forest Road 27). Drive 9.25 miles, turning left on FR 2750. Continue 4.75 miles to the trailhead. Privy available. |
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