Buckhorn Lake, Dungeness River, Tubal Cain, Buckhorn Pass

We hiked up to Buckhorn Pass on the Tubal Cain trail. We camped at the pass, then went through Marmot Pass down to Boulder Shelter Camp and out on the Upper Dungeness River trailhead. A nice loop hike that makes a good 3 day backpack using 2 cars for a short car shuttle. The Tubal Cain trail has lovely foliage and the rhododendrons were just nearing the end of their bloom. The wildflowers at Buckhorn and Marmot Pass areas are so diverse with amazing color. On the Tubal Cain trail the views start early and the trail has a nice gentle incline. It starts to get quite steep near the trail junction to Buckhorn Lake. We camped at the top of Buckhorn Pass with sweeping 360 views of mountains. There are still a few patches of snow up there for boiling for drinking water, but I imagine they will soon be gone. We day hiked up to Buckhorn Mt. on the middle day and the views from up there are amazing! We could see Seattle with ferries and cruise ships in the Puget Sound. Also seen from the top are Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, Glacier Peak, and Mt. Baker. The hike out through Marmot Pass down to Boulder Shelter Camp is steep downhill, but once you get to Boulder Shelter Camp the going is easier. The bridge is out 2.5 miles from the Upper Dungeness trailhead. You have the choice of wading through at the spot in fast running fairly high water or going down 100 yards to cross on a log. We waded through and I was glad we had the dogs on leash as their paddling legs were not strong enough for the current. The Dungeness River's deep blue and soothing sound were a peaceful conclusion to a lovely hike.