The Dungeness trail and beyond past Hope Lake and to Constance Pass is all in good shape. So is the Royal Basin/creek trail (has one tree down, easy to get around). In fact, many of the miles are super smooth and kind to the feet. In between we did the traverse over Gunsight Pass. It's rugged and sometimes brushy. Also tucked in Twin Peak and Mount Clark en route, both with nice views.

Traversing the ridge from Buckhorn Pass to Constance Pass in mid-July provides a superb flower show! We started our traverse in perfect weather by climbing the Tubal Cain trail to Buckhorn Pass. The Tubal Cain is in perfect condition all the way. In this late snow year, there is still some snow at Buckhorn Pass for camping, but it will most likely be gone by August. No bugs at all. It would still be possible to camp at the pass after the snow is gone, but obtaining water requires a 400 foot drop and a quarter-mile hike into a nearby basin. The climb up Buckhorn Mountain is easy, but even in good weather the fog off of Mt. Constance swirls over the peak. Rare flowers abound, including douglasia and syntheris pinnatifolia. The last hundred feet of Buckhorn Mountain is also adorned with alpine willow herb, a rare treat in the Olympics! The traverse from Buckhorn Pass to Marmot Pass is in good shape, but there are two places where steep snow is encountered. The snow persists on the north side of two ribs that jut to the west. The first crossing is by far the longest and steepest, and requires an ice axe and the skill to use it, plus the soft snow of late afternoon. Both patches of steep snow can be avoided by tedious downclimbing of a few hundred feet, the distance depending on how you feel about snow angle. The biggest snowpatch will linger into August. One additional patch of steep snow lingers between Marmot Pass and Boulder Shelter, but the downclimb to avoid it is more reasonable. The Charlia Lakes Way Trail is open and in great condition. The same is true of the Home Lake trail, with no snow problems to slow the hike. However, there is one nasty blow-down along the trail; be patient and careful worming through it on a steep slope. Watch for cougar along this trail, as a male was marking the trail with fresh scat every day. Home Lake is truly a magical place, although it did feature the only mosquitoes we encountered. From a basecamp at Home Lake, it is an easy climb to Constance Pass. There is a short stretch of moderately steep snow just below the pass, easy on a warm afternoon. It can also be avoided with a short scramble up meadows and scree. From the Pass, climb Del Monte Ridge and follow the open scree ridge until the traverse abruptly ends. Stand at the Gates of Mordor and peer into the heart of darkness. Beyond the last accessible high point of the ridge, there is nothing but barren wasteland, a place where the ice age still lingers. Enjoy the view from Mt. Adams to Mt. Fuji, buffeted by ridiculously cold winds emanating from the belly of Mordor. The next day, we completed the 9.8 mile exit from Home Lake to the Dungeness trail head in less than five hours on easy trail. The broken foot log below Camp Handy is easy and safe, despite the warnings at the trail head. There was a WTA work party working on wet spots on the lower trail. Thanks folks! All in all, a spectacular five day traverse!

Road condition: good. Trail Condition: cleared. Bug condion: hardly any; not bothersome. However footbridge at 2.5 miles has collapsed (broken in the middle with the middle in/under the water)and on this warm day the river was up to the top of the lowest section. A crude rope handrail has been jerry-rigged which will allow hikers to cross (with care since the river is really roaring) when the river drops a little.

today 3 folks, 4 stock and one dog made the trip to boulder shelter and cross cut sawed out all of the windfalls across the trail.

had a fun lunch at camp handy.

the failed foot log at the dungeness crossing now has a hand line in place but is not for the faint at heart to try and cross.

both royal and dungeness are flowing high and the water at the fords was chest high on the horses.

please join one of the mid july work parties that will start the process of removing high maintenance structures and replacing them with turnpike.