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Copyright © Craig Romano/The Mountaineers Books Petes Creek - Colonel Bob Peak
Featured In:
Day Hiking: Olympic Peninsula,
by Craig Romano.
A portion of all book sales from the links above benefits WTA and helps protect and maintain our trails. The hike to this peak is just like the man it was named for: straightforward and to the point. Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll was a Civil War veteran, politician, orator, and free thinker who never stepped foot on this peak, but some admiring climbers who did thought the peak should be named for him. The good colonel eventually got a wilderness area named after him too, the only wilderness on the west side of the Olympic National Forest. It's just over 4 miles to the summit, but it'll feel a lot longer. Most of the way is steep, with several rocky sections. Is it worth it? Absolutely! Colonel Bob offers views into country rarely seen from high above. It's one of the very few hiker-accessible summits in the western reaches of the Olympics. Start your journey on the Petes Creek Trail, immediately entering ancient forest and the Colonel Bob Wilderness. In just under a mile cross the creek. You may get your feet wet, you may not; some years the creek runs underground. The climb stiffens as the trail works its way up the west slope of neighboring Gibson Peak. At 1.5 miles traverse a brushy avalanche slope. Another larger slope is encountered soon afterward and views open up of the Humptulips Valley. Steeply zigzag through rugged terrain and at 2.4 miles come to a junction with the Colonel Bob Trail (elev. 3000 ft). Head right, climbing yet more steep brush-choked slopes and finally receiving a reprieve at a gap (elev. 3700 ft) above Fletcher Canyon. The trail now heads northwest, dropping a bit to a tarn-boulder- and creek-graced Moonshine Flats. One mile and 1000 feet of elevation gain still need to be covered. Through subalpine forest and skirting basalt cliffs, the rough trail steeply switchbacks to the summit cone, the final 100 feet on steps blasted into the rock. One look from this former fire lookout site quickly validates all your pain and suffering. Lake Quinault twinkles below. Mount Olympus glistens to the north, while Mount Rainier hovers in the east over rows of scrappy hills and ridges. And fanning out below from your aerie hub is an emerald network of luxuriant rainforest valleys-a burgeoning kingdom of biomass.
Driving Directions:
From Hoquiam travel 25 miles north on US 101. Just past milepost 112 turn right onto Donkey Creek Road (Forest Road 22, signed for Wynoochee Lake). Follow this paved road for 8 miles to a junction. Turn left onto FR 2204 and continue 11 miles (the pavement ends in 3 miles) to the trailhead at Petes Creek. Privy available. Recent Trip Reports
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Overnight
Features:
Fall foliage
Issues:
Water on trail
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3 of us (28 year old girlfriend, 1 year old shepherd/husky, and I) backpacked this trail over Saturday/Sunday. It started...
3 of us (28 year old girlfriend, 1 year old shepherd/husky, and I) backpacked this trail over Saturday/Sunday. It started across from the parking area (up hill, not down to the creek). The trail was in superb condition going up - no down trees and all switchbacks easily found. There were blue skies and we hiked in leggings / lightweight base layers. Only saw 3 other couples.
We were not sure exactly where Moonshine Flats campsite was (no posted sign) – although we now know it is shortly after the juncture of the Pete’s Creek and Colonel Bob trail where one or two established sites are available. We pushed through to the summit with our full packs. There was a snow field / alpine area about 300 feet below the summit, just off the trail where a hard left switchback happens (we cut right down a scree field to a ‘meadow’). The campsite gave great views of the Olympics but was exposed during a storm and it got quite windy. Our tent (Hilleberg) stood up well – but others may not have. It also got quite wet in the meadow and we awoke to many flowing streams that were not there the previous day. I would caution against camping here – but it happened to be great for us. There were two campsites 2.5 miles up Pete's Creek that are right on the trail, but quite nice (even in the rain/soggy conditions). The hike down was not impossible, although the trail was a river most of the trip. Thanks to the amazing trail – it held up to the flowing water well. The stream crossings were also complicated – but passable. We were knee deep at a crossing in Moonshine Flats area, but not flowing so fast that it swept our feet away. No snow. Overall – this hike was great as a backpacking adventure. I would suggest not summiting with packs - rather camp at Mulkey Shelter or Moonshine Flats, although we did and it was fantastic.
Petes Creek - Colonel Bob Peak
— Oct 25, 2011
— Jasonrj
Day hike
Features:
Fall foliage | Ripe berries
Issues:
Water on trail
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No snow yet, but that's about to change. I've been up here several times over the last few weeks and...
No snow yet, but that's about to change. I've been up here several times over the last few weeks and it's starting to stay frozen all day at Moonshine Flats. It's getting to be rainy season also so the creeks are rising, but you don't have anything too serious to cross yet.
I think I'm going to try this one more time pretty soon, but I don't expect I'll be able to make it to the top after November. The Colonel Bob trail is still closed from the 2007 storm, you have to go from the Upper Pete's Creek trail accessed from Donkey Creek Road or FS RD 2220. Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming | Ripe berries
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We hiked up the Pete's Creek Trail in the morning in absolutely beautiful weather. We managed to get beyond...
We hiked up the Pete's Creek Trail in the morning in absolutely beautiful weather. We managed to get beyond the exposed face of the slide area before full sun, which is why I like to start this hike early. We putzed around Moonshine Flats for a while before making our final press to the summit.
WARNING: There is a head-sized paper wasp's nest in a bush to the right as you approach the stream crossing at Moonshine Flats. It doesn't appear they got the message about us leaving them alone and they responding likewise; they rile up pretty easily. A dog in another party was stung so we crossed about 30 yards downstream. On the way back they seemed calmer so we tried to skirt quietly past but they were having none of that. I walked by and one of the dogs in our party jumped, stung, and by the time I turned around they were beginning to swarm. One of the other dogs and one of our party was stung. The summit was incredible as always and even more so with the approaching storm. We experienced gale force winds with some ferocious gusts on top, and a jacket was necessary as the wind chill made it feel quite cold. The storm was pushing some wild looking clouds along, and the pictures don't quite capture it. We ate our lunch and headed down.
Petes Creek - Colonel Bob Peak
— Sep 03, 2011
— PNA
Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Issues:
Snow on trail
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I'd never been to this corner of the Olympics, but see it from the ocean often and sometimes from 101....
I'd never been to this corner of the Olympics, but see it from the ocean often and sometimes from 101. I thought the view would provide an interesting new perspective, which it did. I didn't even have a map of the area, nor had I read a trail description, so it was interesting to hike into the relative unknown (yeah, yeah, I know, "the 10 essentials". Don't worry, I had 2 or 3 of them.)
I arrived at the trailhead to find 2 cars already there - 2 guys who spent the night on the top, and a volunteer trail maintainer. This is a FS fee site, and there is an outhouse. The trail is pleasant and well maintained as it heads up the mountains, crossing a few dry (more or less) streambeds. At about 2500', not far below the extensive open scree slope, there is a campsite or two, with a nice icy-cold spring just above and beyond. The scree slope is kind of interesting and until you get a view from higher up, it's not clear why it's there. Right now it's very dry, but it has extensive flowers and is unusually vegetated. And hot, in the sun. The trail reaches the Colonel Bob trail coming up from the Quinault via Mulkey Shelter, and there is a sign saying the trail is closed beyond the shelter due to down trees. Interesting. I've not seen many F.S. trails ever closed for anything - normally they let you take your chances. WTA is working on opening up that side, though. The trail continues switching backing up the scree through nice flowers and sparse trees, then re-enters the forest for a climb up to a marshy little saddle at about 3400'. It then climbs a tiny bit and crosses a basin of rock outcrops, heather, flowers, ponds and a stream. Here there was beargrass blooming just feet from shooting stars, which is an odd combination. The trail then soon begins a fairly steep ascent towards Col. Bob itself. There are some patches of snow in the basin, and on the trail where it later traverses north along a ridge, then NE below Col. Bob to another ridge, but they are not difficult to cross if you are careful. Then the final ascent is snow free to a spectacular view from the top. The view was great, although it was not an exceptionally clear day. I could see Mt St. Helens, Mt Adams, Mt. Rainier, Grays Harbor, Willapa Bay (barely), the ocean, Lake Quinault, and, of course all the SE Olympics. I think I could pick out Mt. Constance straight up the Quinault valley, as well. A really nice rocky summit to spend some time on, too. There is a nice colony of Lewisias blooming on the rocky slope there. This mountain, and nearby neighbors, have oddly lumpy summits - presumably it's geological, but I don't know why. The trail is really in great shape. It has entirely been logged out (some sawn branches still frozen into snowbanks), treadwork has been done, minor rockwork on the upper parts, and and I helped clear a bit of overgrowth myself. Thanks to all those helping keep the trails passable, especially volunteers like the one I met! This trail is a great day hike to an amazing view, although it seems longer than the reputed 4.1 or 4.2 miles. Saw about 22 people on the whole hike.
Petes Creek - Colonel Bob Peak
— Aug 20, 2011
— Redram
Day hike
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Couldnt find the trail! When you pull into the trailhead parking lot, there is no map. If you...
Couldnt find the trail! When you pull into the trailhead parking lot, there is no map. If you take the Pete's Creek trail from there you are going the wrong way and its only a mile long. Unknown to me and i think lots of other people based on the sign in Petes Creek to Colonel Bob starts on the side of the road opposite the parking lot. i walked by it twice and never saw the trail.
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Enjoy fantastic views atop Colonel Bob Peak. Photo by Nutmeg.
2011
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