Camp Handy,Hal Foss,Dungeness River #833.2,Mt Mystery
May 12, 2007
- Type of Outing
- Day hike
- 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
- Bridge out
Dungeness; Camp Handy; Hal Foss; Mt Mystery
Two times pays for all - sort of.
The Mystery Men - a motley group of Port Townsend denizens and Seattlites - decided to make an attempt on Mystery in 2005, inspired by the stories that Richard told of his early days gamboling on this majestic peak. Why not? So in '05 we set out, about 10 of us, crossed the Dungeness on a classic log, and camped at Camp Handy. Bad idea.
Why? Because the next day the climb to the true base camp took about 3 hours and much of our energy. The day was still young, but we weren't when we headed right to the pass next to Hal Foss, planning to cross over and assault our objective. Fog in the Pass threw us off course, and when things cleared enough to see it was time to turn around, and Mystery was still a couple of hours away, a giant hulking mass of snow and ice and rock. We climbed Hal Foss as a worthy consolation, turned tail, and vowed to return.
And return we did, on May 11, 2007. This time the crossing log over the Dungeness was history, and we used the rope strung across the river to make a very cold and rather treacherous crossing-bring sneakers! And this time we carried on up to the true base camp above tree line, tired, but in good position for the morn's assault.
Up at 5, and this time half of us, led by Kees the Intrepid with the big plastic step-kickin' boots, went up the stream that drains the Mystery cirque. Straight-forward assent to the big wall of the mountain, and then steep snow and some rock to the summit pyramid. One of our party wore crampons, but the rest of us just followed Kees, as the snow softened. Roped for the last two 60 degree pitches, and then scrambled up the last rock ramp. What a glorious perch, the Olympics spread in front of us, wreathed in gossamer clouds. Leisurely lunch on top, with incredible treats hauled up by the 20 somethings to help feed the 60 somethings (especially since when I had opened my freeze-dried package the night before , all it contained was the garbage from the previous year's last back-back-curse of being too neat)
Somewhat of a mushy glissade down, and back to camp by about two, where the youts pulled out a bottle of single-malt, which we all downed , napped and proceeded back to our base camp on the river. By the way, the conservative bunch who followed Richard's admonitions to repeat 2005's assault, ended up climbing Hal Foss again, nowhere near the Mystery summit.
A great weekend, wonderful company, good food (except for the garbage) and good weather mostly. A classic Northwest Climb.
Nostradamus, also known as ""The Reverend""
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