Constance Pass — Monday, Jun. 18, 2001

Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal

A great weather forecast prompted a trip to Constance Pass and the high country near Mount Mystery. I got started by 5:20 AM and proceeded up the Dosewallips trail 2.5 miles to the Constance Pass junction, then turned right for the start of the 4300 foot vertical climb ahead. The ascent to Sunny Brook Meadows was pleasant in the cool morning shadows accented by rhododendron blooms. The trail was in great shape, and just about all of the snow is melted at the meadows. Two short but steep snow slopes without run-out were encountered on the way to the ridge top. The snow was quite icy and would be dangerous to cross without an ice axe. The view was awesome at the ridge top, with Mt Constance, Warrier, Little Mystery, and Mt Mystery dominating the vista. Rather than proceeding east (and down) to Constance Pass, I walked the snow-free open ridge west to the cliffs of Peak 6666. It looked possible to descend north to upper Heather Creek, so I dropped about 1000 vertical feet to a beautiful basin, then contoured west and ascended snow slopes back to the ridge top west of Peak 6666. Travel west was then easy on the partially snow covered ridge for about 1/2 mile until cliffs block the way. Gunsight Pass between Mt Mystery and Little Mystery is clearly visible from this vantagepoint, so I made a contouring descent along steep talus and shale to the basin below the pass. An ice axe is necessary on this traverse due to snow filled gullies. The 500 foot ascent to the pass was easy on snow and shale. The feeling here is definitely claustrophobic, as if you could touch the walls of Mt Mystery and Little Mystery with both hands. The view northwest through the “gunsight” is dominated by the gray cliffs of Mt Deception. I looked down into the brush filled depths of Deception Creek with some trepidation. But it was all down hill from here on I thought. The initial descent was easy on snow and avalanche scoured meadow until I was forced into the woods by a massive slide alder patch. Travel was a little more difficult to Deception Creek where I crossed to the north side. Some flagging was encountered following the creek out, but I never found any sort of climber’s path. The best strategy was to stay a couple hundred feet above the creek and contour west to the slopes of the Dosewallips valley, then descend to the Dose trail. There were lots of downed trees and steep side drainages to negotiate. After 1-1/2 hours of Deception Creek I was ready for the bliss of the 8 mile hike out the Dose to my car. Outstanding weather and scenery made for a very enjoyable but tiring trip.