I arrived at the Notch Pass TH at about 11 am on Sunday. There was one other car in the small parking area that could fit 3-4 cars. No pass was required. The road wasn't particularly steep, but the potholes were deep and my car grounded out multiple times. I made it in my low-profile 2005 Ford Focus but if you have a low-clearance vehicle and really don't want the undercarriage ripped, you might choose another trailhead. I passed a group playing with guns on the way in, and their gunfire filled the air until I crossed Notch Pass. Besides that, this was a nearly perfect day for a long trail run/hike on some great trails.
My route was Notch Pass Trail to the junction with the Lower Big Quilcene River Trail, taking a right to go upriver to the big parking area at the Big Quilcene/Marmot Pass TH, and continuing up to Marmot Pass, then returning the way I came. It was about 7.5 miles to the Big Quilcene River TH, and then another 5.2 to Marmot Pass. My total for the day was 25 miles and 7,650 feet of elevation gain. In terms of human interaction, I had near solitude below the Big Quilcene River/Marmot Pass TH, and plenty of people on the 5.2-mile trail to Marmot Pass. Occasional brush on the Notch Pass Trail, and a few pretty straightforward blowdowns on the Marmot Pass trail. Intermittent snow that doesn't bear mentioning above 5,400 feet. It looked like there might be more snow on the other side of Marmot Pass. A much easier version of this hike, which would also avoid the longer drive and packed parking lot of the "upper" Big Quilcene River TH would be to start at the Lower Big Quilcene TH, but I didn't visit that TH today.
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