Tubal Cain #840,Constance Pass #99,Dungeness River #833.2,Buckhorn Pass,Marmot Pass,Home Lake,Del Monte Ridge
Jul 18, 2006
- Type of Outing
- Day hike
- Read More in our Hiking Guide
- Hike: Tubal Cain
- Region: Olympics -- East
- Trails: Tubal Cain (#840)
- Avg Rating: 3.00
- Read More in our Hiking Guide
- Hike: Constance Pass
- Region: Olympics -- East
- Trails: Constance Pass (#99)
- Avg Rating: 4.40
- Read More in our Hiking Guide
- Hike: Upper Dungeness River
- Region: Olympics -- East
- Agency: Olympic National Forest, Hood Canal Ranger District
- Trails: Dungeness River (#833.2)
- Avg Rating: 4.33
- Be Aware Of
- Snow on trail
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!
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