Started at the Upper Big Quilcene Trailhead traveling over Marmot Pass to the Upper Dungeness Trailhead. Key swap with another party facilitated this point to point.
The road to the Upper Big Quilcene Trailhead was in good shape and easily navigable in a prius.
Smooth travel from Upper Big Quilcene Trailhead to ~5400 ft where we first encountered snow. Watch for wildflowers, especially while traveling in open slopes. Snow was periodic at first. The last 0.5 miles to the Pass were almost entirely snow covered. A clear path was visible with well established boot pack. We used poles but no traction devices going uphill. Camp Mystery was mostly snow covered but had at least one tent site with bare ground.
Bare ground at Marmot Pass.
The first 0.75 miles from Marmot Pass to Boulder Shelter had several more sizable and higher consequence snow fields to cross, the most notable of which were on the leeward (northern) side of the 2 main spines that you encounter on the west side of Point 6294. There was a well established boot pack through even the steepest sections. We felt comfortable with microspikes and poles. Black bear tracks traversed the same boot pack. Snow ended at about 5600 ft. The rest of the way to Boulder Shelter provided very few obstacles.
Between Boulder Shelter and Camp Handy keep an eye out for calypso orchids. The creeks that intersect the traversing trail in this section were all running and viable water sources. Watch for marmot holes in the trail in this section. These could easily cause a twisted ankle.
The 0.5 miles closest to the Upper Dungeness Trailhead were the muddiest section of the route. Mud was easy to avoid.
The road from the Upper Dungeness Trailhead to pavement was in much worse shape than our access to Upper Big Quilcene. There are many potholes most of which are easily avoidable. Watch for a small sink hole in the middle of the road closer to the trailhead marked by a boulder and a stick with flagging in the hole. Our key swap companions noted that the turn from Palo Alto Road to NF-2880 (which transitions from pavement to dirt) is poorly marked as there are several "No Trespassing Signs" on NF-2909 road and a very small sign indicating the direction to turn to get to the Dungeness trailheads.
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