Dirty Harry's Peak, Dirty Harry's Museum — Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023

Since I am interested in logging history, I thought I'd hike up and checkout the so called "museum" on Dirty Harry's Peak (named after logger Harry Gault who logged the mountain with his name). When I arrived at the parking lot there were only three other cars. A light misty rain was coming down, so did not need my rain jacket yet. After crossing the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River on the concrete road bridge, I headed up the Dirty Harry's Peak Trail (DHPT). It starts on an old roadbed before turning into the trail DNR built a few years ago. A short way up the trail is a kiosk with info, and trail maps showing the rock climbing and bouldering areas with side trails. After going up many switchbacks I came to the first viewpoint looking east. Then I got the next viewpoint which is looking west toward North Bend. From here the hand-built trail turns into a machined built trail that is much wider. DNR used a small track hoe for this construction. Further on I came to the Bird Box viewpoint which looks east to Snoqualmie Pass and the surrounding peaks. It was neat to see the clouds swirling around them. I did not see any birdhouses on this hike but saw some a couple of years ago.

When I arrived at the junction with the Ira Spring Connector Trail, and the Balcony Trail I stopped and put on my rain jacket as it was coming down a little harder. The ISCT goes east, and meets up with the regular Ira Spring Trail that goes to Mason Lake and Bandera Mtn. I then headed up the DHPT that meets up with another old log road turned into a trail by the DNR. About halfway up to the Museum is another viewpoint with a big log bench. No big view today with the clouds blowing around, but still nice to see. Parts of this trail are really rocky. When I got near Museum Creek, I was looking for the side trail going uphill to the right. After crossing two small dry creek beds I spotted the side trail. At the unsigned junction is a large rock with a flat top on the left side of the trail. If you get to Museum Creek a little up the DHPT, you went too far. I headed up the steep side trail that in a short time met up with another old logging road going east, now just a trail. Parts of this trail are like hiking in a creek bed with lots of rocks. I came to a switchback in the old road and headed back west still going uphill. Coming around a corner I could see the museum artifact. I had seen photos of it from past reports.

The museum artifact is a 1940's GMC duce and a half WW2 era Army 2.5-ton truck that had been converted into a logging yarder with a steel tower for high lead yarding. The tower was folded down for when the truck would have been driven. In the upright position the tower would have had 5 or 6 guy wires to help hold it in place during the yarding operation. The guy wires would have been anchored to stumps or trees. I noticed the drums for the high lead system for the wire ropes (cables) were missing. The system would have had a diesel or gas engine to power it. This was a small-time yarder compared to larger logging companies with bigger yarders with 75' to 100' steel towers and bigger machines with more power. Back in the 1930's the Weyerhaeuser Timber Company during the steam era of logging had monster yarders that weighed 24 tons with 125' steel towers. These types of machines were built by Washington Iron Works, Willamette Iron & Steel and Liderwood. One of Weyco's Liderwood yarders was on display at the former Camp Six Logging Museum at Point Defiance Park in Tacoma. When the museum closed a few years ago the steel tower yarder was moved to a logging museum in Willits, CA.

It had stopped raining when I got to the "Museum", so after taking some photos I found a good flat rock for a lunch time seat. I also had my only wildlife sighting of the day, one Douglas Squirrel came by. When I finished lunch, I headed back down the "trail" to get back to the main DHPT. Made for a fun adventure going to Dirty Harry's Museum. With the wet weather I only saw four other hikers all day down on the lower part of the DHPT.

Parts of the DHPT are rocky, but that is because the trail goes through some rocky areas. I noticed that at some of the trail switchbacks some people have been short cutting them and making new trails. George