First time on a great trail. Clear except for small patches of snow just below ridge. Awesome views of Mt. Constance.

A friend and I hiked up the Tunnel Creek trail from the Dosewallips side last Sunday. The road out is in good condition although once the pavement ends, potholes appear. The trail itself is also very hikeable. There are multiple downed trees along the route and the bushes are encroaching upon the trail. Snow doesn't appear until the ridge itself and even this is fairly patchy. The side trail to the top of the ridge is snow free and no ice axe is needed.

We had hiked this a couple of years ago but the weather was such that we never saw Mt. Constance or any other views due to extensive clouds. This was not a problem yesterday! It was a beautiful day for wonderful vistas. The hike begins in the woods and parallels the creek for close to 3 miles. The trail then crosses the creek shortly after the shelter. While the trail is a steady uphill until this point, the real fun begins after crossing the creek. It's a steady thigh burner as the trail climbs steeply for another mile or so up past Karnes and then Harrison Lakes. Mt. Constance comes into view shortly after Harrison Lake but don't stop yet. It's worth the effort to keep climbing until you reach the ridge and 50-50 Pass. At this point you will be treated to magnificent views of the Hood Canal, Mt. Jupiter, Mt. Constance, The Brothers and even Puget Sound if the visibility is as good as it was for us yesterday. Just prior to reaching the ridge there is a path that goes off to the right(this path is not marked on the Green Trail Map). If your legs are still able to climb some more take this path up to the highest rock promontory. It's another half mile, approximately, and very steep but it's well worth the effort. You will be rewarded with flowers and a magnificent 360 degree view and you will definitely feel like King, or Queen, of the Mountain. We ate lunch and soaked up the view at this high point then reluctantly retraced our steps back to the trailhead and our car. The trail back down is equally as tough on the knees as it is on the thighs when climbing upward. Be kind to your legs and take a healthy dose of ibuprofin before and after this hike! The total mileage to the ridge, up to the rock promontory and back down is about 9-10 miles. The trail is in good shape. We did not encounter flowers until we were at 5000 feet and above. There was a nice breeze up on the high rock ridge that kept the bugs away but we did need bug repellant for the walk through the woods. This trail is typically described in the hiking books as a one way hike beginning at the Tunnel Creek trailhead, hiking to the pass and then going on down the other side to another trailhead down on the Dosewallips River Road. This might be nice if you have a second car and someone willing to meet you on the other side but it's a great hike to the pass and then back down again as I've described.

wow what a day - hot and clear. Ran into one other group of guys headed up Tunnel Creek. Trail is in pretty good shape to the lake. A little bit of snow beyond the lake. Great views from the saddle - great stopping spot for lunch and turnaround place if needed - but the peak called to us and we headed on up - that part is steep and slick requiring a variety of plant belays. Took a nap on the top of the peak - enjoying the sunshine and great views. Mt Constance is right there in your face and the ridgeline temps you to continue on. After a good hour or so we all headed on down celebrating a great day. Alas my digital memory chip failed so have no awesome pics to share....bummer. there were a couple blowdowns at the top but all were navigateable by foot.