Our group of brave souls completed a tour of the Hamma Hamma, Skokomish, and Duckabush drainages from August 16 thru 19. The Lama, Wild Bill, and the author started off in the company of my dad for the first leg of our adventure, leaving the Lower Lena Lake lot at 8:30 AM. The student was so wary of this hike that he went and got himself a job in Amsterdam to avoid any possibility of joining us. The first 4 miles of the morning went by smoothly on the well-traveled trail up to Lower Lena Lake. No wildlife to speak of, and the forest canopy limits the light so very few plants out, except the usual bunchberry, Indian pipe, and red huckleberry. A quick snack at that point, and Dad headed back down to enjoy his lunch at Lower Lena. We headed up, up, and up to Upper Lena. Lunch was in one of the many openings in the trees, and Mount Rainier was visible floating above Puget Sound and the Canal. The trail descriptions of the rough going on this section of trail are very accurate - it is steep and quite relentless, a great warm-up for the remainder of our 4 days in the Olympics. We were most thankful for the awesome maintenance work recently completed on the Upper Lena trail. Downed trees were cleared, puncheon placed, and brush clearance done. I would not have wanted to work any harder than I did in the 3900 + feet of elevation gain to the upper lake. Good work folks! The flowers were in full bloom. You name it, we saw it. I won't go into details except to say a plethora of beautiful flowers gladly accepted our sweat as we trudged upward. Our pace was consistent, as it was hazardous to stop. Hordes of flies, black and horse, were constant companions. They seemed to love the various bug sprays and repellants we brought. The Lama's soy-based product worked as well as my jungle juice. Wildman's DEET worked the best of them all (maybe 45 minutes as opposed to the 30 minutes I was getting!). Anyhow, we made it to Upper Lena (with only minor cramping from the Wildman) by 2:30 PM - not bad for a bunch of old guys. The back-country ranger was swimming in the lake - Ranger Tom is a brave guy. There were 2 other groups at the lake that evening, and the fly-fishing was not so great. But there was a whole lotta biting going on, as the mosquitoes were stealthy, ever-present, and numerous. They affected every meal we ate for the next 3 days! We retired to the tents to get some relief. The next day dawned sunny and warm. The skeeters hastened us out of the site. We originally planned to head into Hagen Lakes Basin via the north shoulder of Mount Stone, but after talking with Ranger Tom we decided that a saner plan would be to ascend to St Peter's Gate, go past Lake of the Angels, and around the west side of Mt. Stone to Great Stone Arrow Pass. This utilizes a series of way trails that were alternatingly difficult to find at times and easy to follow once you found them. The trail between Upper Lena and Scout Lake is well described in Wood's bible on hiking the Olympics- beautiful meadows and stands of sub-alpine trees. The trails would be relatively visible thru the meadows, and easily identifiable entering and exiting. That is, until we reached the bypass to Stone's Ponds and St Peter's Gate. We missed the left branch (more appropriately, it disappeared after 5 steps into a meadow / rocky area). We headed another .3 miles toward Scout Lake until the trail got ugly and the area of hanging onto roots with 40 feet of exposure down the cliff came into view. We punted and headed back up to the left branch and found some small cairns and eventually the trail heading up the second small shoulder on the right. This trail was a good tread, only disappearing for 15 feet at a time, and led us all the way to the approach to Stone's Ponds. We side-hilled to maintain elevation and headed up towards St Peter's Gate over scree, boulders, rock, and snow. I actually got buzzed by a hummingbird about halfway up. The snow was good for kicking steps, and the exposure was minimal until we were within 50 feet of the top. Wildman took over with the ice ax and led us over the final section. Lunch was eaten at 2 PM with beautiful views out to Scout Lake and beyond. We relaxed and enjoyed the breeze (it kept the bugs at bay) and recharged. It had taken 5 hours to go that far (about 5 miles), and we had about that much more to go before we rested. The way down towards Lake of the Angels was very steep! The climbers' trail was difficult to follow, and we ended up side-hilling over towards the pass above LOA to save time. The Lama punched thru on a snow field and left some red snow behind. We rallied for the steep descent to the Skokomish drainage and worked our way on up to Great Stone Arrow Pass (west of Mt Stone, the entry to Hagen Lakes). We decided to camp at the pass for the night, hoping for some wind to keep the bugs away. A beautiful sunset colored Mt Stone a memorable shade of red, and the moon rose over the south shoulder of same. Water was available from snowmelt below the field at the pass. We rested well. Day 3 dawned sunny and warm. We packed up and headed for the Elk Basin. We found the entry to the elk trails on the Skokomish side of the drainage that had eluded us 4 years ago in the fog. Smooth sailing was the order of the day as we hiked thru scree and meadows bursting with flowers. Elk droppings were everywhere, and we could even smell the elk, they had been there so recently! The Lama claims to have seen the herd, including maybe 6 with antlers. All the Wildman and I heard was a rumbling as a large group of mammals thundered away from us, and the queen momma stared at us before catching up with the crowd. We quietly made our way to Fisher's Pass for a rest, enjoying the view up to Mt Hopper. Next up was the HORRIBLE section of non-maintained trail known as the Mt Hopper Way Trail. We did this section in about an hour 4 years ago, but it was much deteriorated from that vintage. In general, the blowdowns were too numerous to count, and the trail completely disappears in 2 areas. Heading down the trail, the first time the trail disappears is in an area of major blowdown. Just below the blowdown, a seeming ""switchback"" turns and goes the other way. Do not follow this, as it dies at a stream crossing in a couple hundred feet. Continue beyond the blowdown, and one will find a big cairn reclaiming the trail. The second loss of trail (on the way down) is in a meadow that is gradually being reclaimed by trees and mountain azalea. After crossing a seep, a pile of blowdowns completely obfuscated the trail. A cairn marks that one must continue across the hillside, but from that point things were not clear at all. Finally, the Wildman headed down the hillside and in about 40 yards found the trail. It was near the bottom of the meadow and to the right (NW) side of the clearing. If headed in to this section, the easiest way of finding the trail would be to continue along the contour to the seep/ creek and head vertically up until encountering the rock cairn. From this point, we had only to put up with the endless blowdowns to clamber over. There were many ripe blueberries to eat in this area. Elk Basin is such a nice area to access that it is a shame the trail has deteriorated so much. Flagging would help in the lost areas. It was too bad that we did not bring any tape with us. We eventually connected with the North Fork Skokomish Trail just below First Divide. It was so nice to be on a maintained trail again! We were woefully behind schedule, having spent the better part of 2 hours going 2 miles! Lunch was at 2 PM (I sensed a trend here) besides Home-Sweet-Home creek. We were enamored of the lack of flies and mosquitoes. Only the slow ones were with us (piles of dead flies). Bill wondered where our next planned campsite was, and I did not have the heart or feet or legs left to tell him it was supposed to be at 10-mile camp on the Duckabush, 9 miles distant! We rallied the horses and enjoyed the plunge into the deep forest of the Duckabush above Camp Duck. We saw our first people in a day (frightening). The majesty of the huge Doug firs, Hemlock, and Cedar were inspiring, as were the forest carpet and padding they provided for our feet as we wended our way 1500 feet down to the Duck. A quick stop at Camp Duck and we were back on the trail (too many bugs there!). We did notice a palatial mansion of a tent set up, as some entomologists were busy along the trail (they claimed to not have any beer or wine, but I did not believe them) and river studying (I kid you not) the Olympic jumping mouse (?). I did not know such a beast existed, but oh well. We agreed to hike until 6 PM and take the first campsite we saw after that. At about 13 mile, our rest spot came into view, a lovely spot under the trees next to the river. Dinner (less soup spilled) and a really cold bath did wonders for the group's disposition and aroma. The best part of the camp was that there were no bugs! Dinner was enjoyable, and we collapsed as darkness arrived. 12 miles (5 with no trail) had done its damage on our bodies but not our spirits. Day 4 found us thinking about getting a move on, but we did not get up until 7:30 and on the trail until 9 (par for the course). We had 13 miles to cover by 4 PM. Hiking in old growth is such a cool and somewhat humbling experience. I have heard it called ""gloomy"", but it is not gloomy at all to me. Passing by 6 foot diameter Doug firs that have survived major burns and are still alive and growing, or seeing a hugely buttressed cedar with the center burned out but still living are things to ponder. So is climbing up Big Hump after going 8 miles. That was a major workout. The 33 switchbacks on the way back down were painful on knees and feet. But in the end, it was all worth it as Dad and Mom were waiting for us on the trail, with Moose Drools for the participants, and comfortable shoes and clothes that did not stink. 39 miles, lots of vertical (up and down), great trails and maintenance, difficult trails and no maintenance, lofty peaks and deep valleys, this hike had them all. 4 days doesn't seem like enough time.

I decided to try a long day-hike up the Putvin trail to Lake of the Angels, through St. Peter’s Gate to the Scout Lake Trail, and returning to my car via the Lena Lake Trail. I knew this 21-mile loop was a challenge for my old bones, so I started walking up the road to the Putvin Trail at 5:00 AM. The ascent to Lake of the Angels was steep, but without problems except for momentarily loosing the trail at the last basin before the lake. The Lake of the Angels is set in a beautiful basin with many opportunities for exploration. There are three designated camp sites near the lake shore, with more in the basin above the lake. The lake was completely melted out and there was about 50% snow cover on the slopes above. I snapped a few photos, and then headed up to St. Peter’s Gate, which is the prominent pass on the SE shoulder of Mount Stone. I located a climber’s path just NE of the most easterly designated camp site. The trail works up a ledge to the basin below the pass, avoiding steep meadow and bolder fields. From this point I ascended snow (ice axe required) and scree past the black cliffs of Mt. Stone to St. Peter’s Gate. Here one can see Ullin’s Bathtubs and Scout Lake to the north, and the pass between the two lakes where the Scout Lake trail will be intersected. A quick descent was made over moderate snow slopes to upper Ullin’s Bathtub, where I paused for lunch. The upper lake is in an open, subalpine basin while the lower lake is in a forested basin. The bugs were plentiful, but not too annoying if you kept moving. After lunch I climbed the easy slopes north of the lake to the pass overlooking Scout Lake. Here the impressive spire of The Bandersnatch demanded a pause for more photos. I scanned the basin to the north of the pass looking for the Scout Lake Trail. I headed for a very faint path on the edge of a meadow that trended north-south. As I followed the path north it began to descend towards Scout Lake, and I realized that I was on the wrong switchback. I left the trail and headed east a few hundred yards and picked up the correct path trail heading NE. I had to frequently refer to the map as the trail is easy to loose and there are many side paths. The way is very pleasant, with numerous tarns, wildflower displays, and expansive views. The trail becomes much more distinct after the junction with the direct route to Scout Lake is passed. There were few problems except for broken mountain hemlock thickets obstructing the trail near Lena Lake. Lena Lake was nearly deserted, as it was getting late Sunday afternoon. This was my first time on the Lena Lake Trail and I was amazed at how steep and rough this trail is. I thought I would really make tracks on this section, but the going was slow negotiating huge steps, slippery sections without switchbacks, and root ladders. I finally reached lower Lena Lake and was “rewarded” by three miles of endless, gentle switchbacks. What a contrast to the upper lake trail! This taxing route took 13-1/2 hours to do, but is incredibly scenic. I intend to return to Lake of the Angels with more time for exploration.

This was my 6 y.o. daughter's 1st backpacking trip and for you with similar ideas of taking young children out, you might appreciate her view. The trip up there was horrible. Yes, she carried her own small pack and we had day hiked this trail before to the first bridge, which went fine. This time, we took 1 rest per switchback with me carring her pack every other one for part of the trip. Took 4 hrs. Once we were up there, though, everything was great. She played in the creek, lake and any other part of any water she could find. Bugs were everywhere, but with liberal use of non-deet bug repellent, she came out with only one bite. Morning came with rain, sooo glad I packed an emergency poncho for her, even if I forgot mine. Cold breakfast and fast packing got us down the hill in 2 1/2 hour with a few breaks and a snack break at the bridge. And I carried her sleeping bag and pad down. I was too much of a hurry to argue and I don't want her to hate backpacking so if you take younglings along, don't pack anything YOU don't want to carry. All in all, she wants to go again, and thats what counts. Only next time, we will do something on fairly level ground.

We wanted to do Dome Peak, but the the word from the weather scientists, who are never wrong, called for a wet Memorial Week-end. Instead, three of us decided to zip over to climb the Brothers. From Green Lake to the trailhead via the Edmonds ferry was only 2 hours and 20 minutes. The trail up to Lena Lake and then through the Valley of the Silent Men was snow free and in perfect condition. Snow does obscure the trail just before the junction with the creek draining the south side of the Brothers. We met two guys who missed the cut-off and spent an unproductive hour thrashing through partially snow-covered brush. The way becomes more obvious further up the valley. We camped on a rare flat spot just west of a huge avalanche swath full of shattered trees and tons of snow. The easy climb up a snow chute extends almost all the way to the summit. We were on top at 7:00pm and had glorious views in all directions. The 3000' glissade on the way back to camp took 40 minutes because of several breaks to stop laughing and to regain our composure. Go soon, the snow is melting fast.

Weekdays the best time to go to this deservedly popular trail. Don't miss the Valley of the Silent Men - The best part (even better then crawling around under the bridge over the underground Lena Creek, trying to see where it eventually comes out). I was able to ask a ranger how it got its mysterious name - He heard that climbers from a local club in the '30's headed for the climb up the Brothers, were silent from the effort of carrying all their gear. Hence the name. I was a little disappointed, expecting a much more romantic tale. The ranger also said that during summer weekends he's counted as many as a hundred cars in the parking lot - all the more reason to go now.