Mileage: 11.5 miles RT
Elevation Gain/Highest: 3490/6000ft
Map: Green Trails The Brothers 168s, Custom Correct Buckhorn Wilderness
Favorite Eats After Hike: Butcher & Baker Provisions, Turnip The Beet, Yodelin, 101 Brewery at Twana Roadhouse, Nourish Sequim, Finn River, or just Pack A Cooler. You can learn more about these places in my Must Hike Must Eat Eating Out Guide.
Find out current conditions and as always, practice Leave No Trace. Pretty please.
Hike Details:
The Upper Quilcene Trail up to Marmot Pass is a long contour walk up the river valley to panoramic views of the Grey Wolf Range and Olympic Mountains. You will find campsites before the final push to the pass and plenty of spots at the saddle to take in the sharp, snow covered peaks. If you have the energy, you can turn right at the pass and climb another mile to Buckhorn Mountain if you are comfortable with scrambling on loose rock.
My hikes:
5/3/2016
This longer trip to Buckhorn Mountain involves a scramble at the top…
Mileage: 13.5 miles RT
Elevation Gain/highest: 4486ft/6988ft
This was my second trip up to Marmot and first to Buckhorn. Much more snow than last time! Nothing like a midweek hike to make the work week go faster. We took the 7:10 ferry and we’re headed up the trail at 9:20am with micro spikes and gaiters in our packs and poles in hand.
The stroll along the Quilcene River warmed us up and we were in base layers soon. Snow fields on the trail started at 5060ft but they were interspersed with bare spots. The melting snow made for mud on the trail.
We got to Mystery camp by 11:40 and stopped to put on gaiters and snack. One person opted for spikes at this point.
The snow was solid from here on up but there was a melted boot path to follow most of the way and we made the pass at 11:30 where a few stayed behind as the rest of us made our way towards Buckhorn. The snow was on and off for a bit until the ridge and then it was mostly loose rock and a fairly good path with a few short scramble sections.
Lunch at the top was at 1:30 and we stayed until the wind picked up, with clouds coming and going. The snow was relatively firm and postholing was minimal. We were down to the cars by 4:45pm and on our way to Quilcene for a post hike meal!
4/2015
I did this hike on my way back home during spring break having visited Ape Canyon, as well. For this trip I drove up 101 from Olympia via Shelton.
The first part was a lovely river walk that got me warmed up for the climb ahead. The snow started at about 3600ft near the Shelter Rock Camp but there were tracks for me to follow. The snow was compacted enough that I only postholed through the meadow below the pass. To the pass, there was a bit more thaw and it didn’t take too long to get to the saddle of the pass on the exposed trail. There was still snow here, too, and plenty of tracks. With Mount Constance, Tyler Peak and the Gray Wolf Ridge as my backdrop, I enjoyed some yummy treats from Kyra’s Bake Shop that I had picked up in Lake Oswego, all gluten free. I only took pictures of rocky Buckhorn Mountain but I knew I would be back to check it out.
Directions: Take the Edmonds/Kingston ferry to the peninsula, head to Quilcene and drive US 101 south for 1.5 miles. (From Shelton follow US 101 north for 50.5 miles.) Turn right (west) onto Penny Creek Road. After 1.5 miles bear left onto Big Quilcene River Road (FR 27). Drive 9.25 miles, turning left on FR 2750. Continue 4.75 miles to the trailhead. Privy available.
For more hikes on the Olympic Peninsula, click HERE.
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