Marmot Pass/Buckhorn Mountain - Olympic Peninsula, WA

Absolutely FANTASTIC hike! Spectacular views of mountains, bursting wildflowers and mountain goats. Although the hiking distance and elevation gain may kick your butt - 5.3 miles/3,500 ft gain for Marmot Pass or 6.3 miles/4,500 ft gain for Marmot Pass and Buckhorn Mountain, it is totally worth the effort....the reward is jaw-dropping 360 views of Olympic mountains, Cascade range, Puget Sound (yes, you can see Seattle!), San Juans and beyond. I hear people make a special overnight trip to Marmot Pass for July 4th to view Seattle's fireworks.

Marmot Pass
The trail is in good condition and smooth sailing. There are some wet and muddy spots, but not a big deal. Blowdowns are cleared thanks to WTA's work. The first mile or so into the journey is a gentle grade and soon the trail begins to ascend steadily through the forest. It's a pleasant hike along Big Quilcene River and the sound of the stream is really soothing. At 2.6 miles you reach Shelter Rock Camp which is adjacent to the creek and it's a good place for a short break. I saw some Rhododendron on the way, but they are mostly done for the season now.

The trail continues to climb and the view opens up soon after Shelter Rock Camp and sky-scraping mountain peaks come into sight. Wildflowers are abundant along the trail from this point on. Look up to the gullies of Buckhorn and Iron Mountains for stunning views of the towering boulders.

At 4.6 miles, you pass Camp Mystery. Camp Mystery seems a very cozy camp site and tucked in by a creek nearby and a meadow along the trail. Marmot Pass is less than a mile from here, so chin up and keep going. The trail travels through a small meadow before ascending switchbacks which take you up to a vast open meadow. From the meadow Marmot Pass is seen on top of the saddle across the meadow. Follow the last stretch of the trail up to Marmot Pass as Buckhorn Mountain and wildflowers greet you.

Take in the gorgeous views from Marmot Pass....Olympic mountains, Buckhorn Mountain, Puget Sound and open meadow down below. There are small patches of snow here and there on the pass, but it's easy to cross. Although views from Marmot Pass are beautiful, if you want to get even better and jaw-dropping views of the Olympic range and Puget Sound with Cascade peaks, hike up to Buckhorn Mountain.

Buckhorn Mountain
The trail climbs steeply from Marmot Pass. It's about a mile to the summit. There are two steep sections en route....at the beginning and at the end where you ascend the summit block. The middle section of the route is a gentle grade on Buckhorn's saddle. The steep switchbacks at the beginning and at the summit block are dirt and scree and a little slippery, so be careful. I found hiking poles were helpful. The views get better and better as you ascend....Mt. Rainier and Mt. Baker show up in the skyline and the entire Puget Sound is visible. More peaks deep inside of the Olympic range show up, too. Wow!

There are two peaks on the summit block. Enjoy the jaw-dropping views sweeping all directions. Olympic mountains (I wish I knew all the names of the Olympic mountains!), Mt. Rainier, Mt. Baker, N. Cascades, Puget Sound, San Juans, and beyond. And, it was a special treat that I also saw a family of mountain goats. They were trekking along the trail on Buckhorn.

I am so glad that I did Marmot Pass/Buckhorn Mountain hike, and I do agree with other trip reports....put this hike on your must do hikes on the Olympic Peninsula! It's epically amazing. I highly recommend. Two thumbs up!!! :)

By the way, FR 27 (paved) has dips and bumpy spots here and there, and there are quite a few potholes on FR 2750 (unpaved). So, just pay attention as you proceed. Happy hiking!

Windy Ridge Trail, Truman Trail-Pumice Plains, Loowit Trail & Plains of Abraham Loop - Mount St. Helens, WA

Wow, wow, wow! Actually, I wowed a lot more in this hike. Amazing hike with stunning views of Mount St. Helens and Spirit Lake ...and bursting wildflowers. Mount St. Helens is visible even closer/bigger than seen from the observatory/Boundary Trail as this hike lets you experience trekking on Pumice Plain in the blast zone. Spirit lake is so blue with eerie remnants of the past with dead trees still floating. Mt. Adams looms big and beautiful just to east. Mt. Rainier, Mt. Hood and others peaks in the vicinity are also seen in this hike. This is very different from typical evergreen Cascade hikes; and yet, it offers its own unique beauty, geological terrain and dramatic history of mother nature since the 1980 eruption.

Ditch the crowd in the observatory! It seems the Johnston observatory and Boundary Trail are often crowded with visitors whereas Windy Ridge is much less so....and views en route from FR 99 are gorgeous. There are also quite a few off-shoot trails and vista points along FR 99. FR 99 (paved) is generally in good shape, but winding and bumpy at times, so pay attention.

Windy Ridge overlook....as the name speaks for itself, Windy Ridge was a little breezy, but not too bad. in fact, thanks to the breeze, the temperature was comfortable and no bug! I started my hike trekking up to Windy Ridge viewpoint upon the hill just behind the restroom. Take in the breathtaking pano view of Spirit Lake and Mount St. Helens. Mt. Rainier and Mt. Hood are also seen in clear skies. And, look east for Mt. Adams.

Windy Ridge Trail....the trailhead is located at the closed gate on the other side across the parking lot from the restroom. Windy Ridge Trail is a well-maintained wide dirt road which leads you to a trail junction for Abraham Trail and Windy Trail/Truman Trail in 1.75 miles. After a mile or so from the trailhead, the view opens up and Mt. Adams and Mount St. Helens come into sight....and wildflowers are blooming all over!

At the trail junction, you have a few options for hiking in Pumice Plain....follow Abraham Trail to hike up toward Plains of Abraham and loop around Windy Pass to Loowit Trail (or continue to Loowit Falls), or take Windy Trail/Loowit Trail to loop around Windy Pass via Abraham Trail counter-clockwise, or hike all the way to Loowit Falls via Windy Trail/Loowit Trail, or trek Truman Trail back and forth in Pumice Plain.

I deiced to explore Truman Trail first, and then Windy Trail/Loowit Trail, and in the end try Abraham Trail on the way back to Windy Ridge instead of doing Plains of Abraham - Windy Pass loop. Last month I hiked Boundary Trail from the observatory to Truman Trail, and this time I wanted to explore the east side of Truman Trail. Truman Trail traverses on the north side of Pumice Plain and eventually connects to Boundary Trail which leads to the observatory. I hiked about a 3/4 mile in and out on Truman Trail to see the north face of the lava dome. It is interesting to see sandy ash and pumice rocks/boulders along the trail. You can notice how nature and landscape have been reviving since the catastrophic eruption 36 years ago. Wildflowers are not abundant on the east side of Truman Trail, however.

Loowit Trail....back to the junction after Truman Trail, following Windy Trail to Loowit Trail was a little tricky at the beginning because the trail is partially washed out. Proceed to westerly from the trail sign, but not to south, to find the trail. Soon after crossing the dry creek, the trail appears obvious and easy to follow Windy Trail to Loowit Trail. The trail goes up and down on Pumice Plain. There is a narrow stream crossing and in 3/4 mile you come to Loowit Trail. I trekked another 1/4 mile or so toward Loowit Falls before I turned around. Enjoy Pumice Plain trekking up and down with wildflowers decorating along the trail and the view of the lave dome. (it's huge!) Spirit Lake is also seen down below to south and spectacular. Mt. Adams also greets in the eastern skyline behind Abraham Trail ridge line.

Back to the trail junction again from Loowit Trail, I took a short journey up to Abraham Trail to explore part of Plains of Abraham loop trail. The trail runs along a long ridge (south end of Windy Ridge) and climbs steep at first, but no worries....it's short. There are log steps connected by wire rope installed on the steep grade. I also noticed traces of bike track along Abraham Trail which indicated the trail is shared with mountain bike riders. Then, I realized the log steps with wire rope are designed for both hikers and mountain bikes. I didn't see any bike riders, however. (Perhaps, it was not weekend?) The vistas from all along the ridge are stunning left and right....Mount St. Helens/Pumice Plain, Mt. Adams, Mt. Hood and the valley down below to east, plus bursting wildflowers. I didn't hike all the way down to Windy Pass as I ran out of time, but the hike along the ridge was great enough for the fantastic views and good workout!

This was my first time to hike the northeast side of Mount St. Helens and now it has become one of my favorite hikes. Although it's a long drive from Seattle (well over 3 hrs!), this hike is certainly worth the trip for what you experience. Go soon for wildflowers as they are in full swing now. Make sure to bring sunscreen, sunglasses, hat and enough water for this hike as it could get pretty hot and dry under sunny skies in summer!

Unicorn Peak via Bench and Snow Lake Trails - Mt. Rainier, WA

This is an epic hike "if" it's done timely....before the snow melts away and the route to Unicorn Peak becomes rocky.

I snow-hiked Bench and Snow Lakes Trails 3 weeks ago and noticed a pointy peak looming by Snow Lake. It intrigued me and learned the peak was Unicorn Peak. Seeing boot tracks heading up to the gully toward the mountain peak, I figured that must be the way to Unicorn Peak.

Reading the recent trip report and WTA's description, I decided to try Unicorn Peak and set the goal to reach the saddle below the summit block. I am an avid hiker, but not a rock climber or into a hard-core scrambling, so reaching the saddle and get a closer view of the peak would be a great adventure, I thought. And, the mission accomplished! What an exciting journey it was! I am glad I did this hike while the route is still snow covered (instead of rocky) and the weather was gorgeous with no bugs this weekend.

The trail to Bench and Snow Lakes is mostly snow free...just patchy snow here and there. The trail has some muddy spots, but no biggie. Glacier lilies are popping out now and will be blooming more soon.

There is one blow down blocking the trail, but it's easy to get around. There is a creek you have to cross, which seemed posing a little issue. I saw some hikers needing a help to cross the creek. There were three options I found for crossing the creek yesterday....hopping on rocks (staying on trail), big fallen tree (veer to left from trail) or small wood piece (veer to right from trail). You can follow the boot tracks based on which way you want to choose for the creek crossing. I followed the boot tracks going right from the main path and found the small wood setting over the creek. The creek seemed relatively shallow there and not too wide (about 4 feet). See the pics for comparison.

After the creek crossing, the trail becomes mostly snow covered and leads you to Snow Lake. The lake is not completely snow/ice free yet, but it is showing up more compared to 3 weeks ago (it was still mostly frozen).

From the lake, I continued the journey to ascend the gully by following the boot tracks. I passed by quite a few climbers coming down en route. The gully is very steep. I could manage ascending the first half without traction device, but as it got steeper and the snow was slushy and slippery, I decided to use microspikes for ascending the second half. Hiking poles are a must. Ice axe may be even better in case of losing traction and slipping down the gully.

The view of the snowfield at the top of the gully is spectacular. It's surrounded by the mountain wall....it made me feel like hiking into a snow-filled gigantic stadium. As you continue to ascend, turn around once in a while and enjoy the view of Mt. Rainer behind you. Traversing the snow field, Unicorn Peak comes into sight with another pointy peak (West Unicorn Peak). My destination was to reach the saddle between the two peaks. The slope to the saddle is once again very steep....and it was slushy/slippery in the late afternoon. I even wished for crampons!

Take in the grand view at the saddle! Worth the effort!! With Unicorn Peak next to you, Mt. Rainier to north and Mt. Adams, Mount St. Helens, Mt. Hood and other peaks of Tatoosh range to south are seen. I hiked down to the south side of the saddle to get a better view of the southern peaks. From the saddle, the climbing routes to the Unicorn's summit block are - scramble the steep north west face, or ascend the snow covered steep route along the south side of the peak, or traverse below the saddle to the east side for scrambling. You should be better equipped with ice axe, crampons and helmet to reach the summit block safely. 

Descending from the saddle was a little tricky due to the steep grade and slushy/slippery snow condition which presented a poor traction. So, I ended up glissading down part of the way which saved also my knees! Trekking down the gully was fair as the snow was not so slushy/slippery and I could use the boot tracks as a step.  

Unicorn Peak was a great hike and adventure with fantastic views, though it was a bit strenuous to conquer the two rather steep slopes. Instead of scrambling up the rocky trail/gully after the snow is gone, I am glad that I did this hike with the trail still snow covered. The journey to Unicorn Peak gave me such an exciting hike similar to Camp Muir, but only in a shorter distance! (5 miles RT) Two thumbs up!

Whiskey Dick Wildlife Area - Wild Horse Wind & Solar Facility, WA

This hike was one of my bucket list for quite a while since I noticed the wind turbines along I-90 near Ellensburg. I am glad I finally made it.

There are four trails you can explore in the area depending on your interest....Ridgeline Solar Trail (2.4 miles RT), Bitterroot Trail (1 mile RT), Bluebird Canyon Trail (1.7 miles RT) and Whiskey Dick Mountain Backcountry Routes (8 miles? RT).

I started my hike at the Renewal Energy visitor center located in 3 miles up on Beacon Ridge Road from Vantage Highway. As part of the hike, I highly recommend to stop by the Renewable Energy Center because you can get basic info on the hiking trails, permit and also learn about a unique renewable energy complex of the wind and the sun. The staff at the center is very helpful and I learned so much about the wind turbines and renewable energy. There is a restroom, too (nice and clean!). You don't need a hiking permit to hike Ridgeline Solar Trail, Bitterroot Trail, Bluebird Canyon Trail, but to hike Whiskey Dick Mountain Backcountry Trail, an Access Permit is required at the center.

Those turbines are gigantic!...360ft tall and blades are 240ft diameter made of fiberglass. It costs $3 million to build one turbine which generates power enough for 40 households annually. Lifespan of turbine is about 20 - 30 years. It takes about 15 years for return of investment and after that will be profit minus operating costs. The complex can generate electricity for 70,000 households per year. The turbine has a wind sensor to sense wind directions for efficiency and newer turbine designs can generate 4 times more energy than the current ones which were built over 10 years ago. About 10% of Puget Sound Energy is generated by the wind. I learned something new - wind turbines and renewable energy.

The trails are well maintained and good condition, and you encounter no significant elevation gains (a gentle few hundred feet) with Ridgeline Solar Trail, Bitterroot Trail and Bluebird Canyon Trail. There are trail signs, but they are very small....a small plate attached on a small rock on the ground! So, the map I got at the visitor center was helpful to navigate. I didn't hike Whiskey Dick Mountain Backcountry Trail in this trip, but I was told parts of the trail get faint and sketchy, so carrying a map seems a good idea if you are hiking Whiskey Dick Mountain Backcountry Trail.

It was quite interesting to hike along those wind turbines on the mountain hills. From the top of Ridgeline Solar Trail, you can view the entire wind facility with Mt. Rainier and Mt Stuart range in the distance. I was hoping to see some wildlife, but no luck yesterday....deer and elk can be sighted. Wildflowers are still out there and blooming. There were about 5 - 10 mile winds yesterday, which helped not sweating too much and also kept bugs away, I think. By the way, this is a desert hike, so be prepared for hot, dry and sun-exposed conditions when you do this hike.