Dry Creek — Thursday, May. 7, 2020

Thought I'd share some info on the Dry Creek trail to Dry Mountain from the West side, the South Fork of the Skokomish, not the Lake Cushman/North Fork of the Skokomish side. Gate at Le Bar Horse camp on FS road 2353 is open and I made the second right after it onto a FS 11 or 200 maybe, I have conflicting info on that. Continuing for almost 3 more miles where you turn left steeply uphill for about 1 more mile. High clearance vehicles only at this point as the drainage ditches on the road require it. Hit snow about 500ft before where I believed the old logging road/Dry Creek trailhead to be. 

Trail is signed a little way from road but obvious to approaching cars. Old logging road is very brushy and muddy and requires two creek fords right now. About 1.3 miles in you leave the old road on the old trail at a hair pin turn just before a large rock slide. I propped the old sign up but still hard to see. Trail was in surprisingly good condition (a lot better than the road) to the saddle overlooking Lake Cushman.

From the saddle I followed a boot path along the narrow wooded ridge until you begin to climb what the Olympic Mountain Climbing Guide calls "steep meadow's". At this point there's about 750' vertical to go and it's fairly steep, like 750' vert in a quarter mile. I was able to avoid major snow fields until the final 200' vertical and the final ridge traverse from the lower summit I arrived at and the slightly higher rocky one. The ridge was tricky with steep snow and some exposure, I brought crampons and axe but only used my axe with my trail runners as I could kick good steps. Great views of all the classic peaks in the area, Lightning, Ellinor, Washington, Copper, Tebo and the volcano trifecta in the Cascades. Fun adventure, a few more weeks will melt the majority of the snow I think, otherwise proceed with caution up top! Have fun.