[Karen]

Does anyone know why Three O'Clock Ridge is named so?? I am referring to Three O'Clock ridge in the Olympics (Buckhorn Wilderness). I've gone through "Gods & Goblins" to no avail. Or even where I could search? So far Google has only turned up mountain bike trips with mention of Three O'Clock Ridge as part of the route (no historical info). Thanks, Karen

[Riverside Laker]

I'm not uncovering anything yet, but bookmark this great site: Washington Place Names

[Stefan]

If you ever get up there Karen I would like to know how you did it! I could be mistaken, but isn't there an abandoned trail on that ridge? Stefan

[Phil]

[reststep]

There used to be a sign for that trail beside the Dungeness River Road before the turnoff for the road that goes up to the Baldy Trail. It may still be there. Have you hiked the trail Karen?

[Karen]

Wooly, I haven't hiked the trail. Hope to have time this year to go back and explore further. Karen

[hikerjo]

Are you reffering to the ridge connecting to Maynard Peak? If so: 1943, May 12th; Army Air Corp P-38 # 41-2052 from McChord crashed on Maynard Peak above the Dungeness River killing the pilot. Wreckage found by hunter in November '46. I have been to the site and the actual wreckage is on Three O'Clock Ridge, perhaps it is a refference to this?

[panzerman200]

Where EXACTLY is the wreckage? I am a aviation wreckage historian and I enjoy visiting sites so could you please give me teh exact location? Thanks -Peter McCullough

[summithound]

I hiked up the Maynard Burn Trail and across Baldy Peak to Grey Wolf Peak last summer. I didn't see any sign of wreckage nor was I keeping an eye out for it. As far as the Three O'Clock Ridge Trail goes, I believe it connects the Lower Dungeness Trail to the forest road leading to the Upper Dungeness Trail. There is a sign labeling the trail on this forest road on your left hand side as you are driving to the Upper Dungeness Trialhead.

[RPBrown]

If I may jump in here. Here's how the story goes. The Schmith family lived up on the Upper Dungeness (It's still called Schmith Road up there)and Schmithwas an avid cat hunter and he had a regular route he would go from his house on the Dungeness. If you've ever driven the Dungeness River road, it makes a 90 degree turn in a huge field and then makes another 90 degree turn at the end of the field. There's a lone old growth Doug Fir in the middle of the field. Anyway, the original Schmith was there. So Schmith would leave his house and go along the ridge tops of Maynard and Tyler hunting cats. If he got to that particular ridge by three o clock he could still make it home before dark, hence the name. That P-38 would be really tough to find now. They started logging that country in 1957. I'm sure it got buried in a mountain of slash, probably burnt too. You can see how big the timber is there nowadays. I've looked for it but have never been able to locate it. Supposedly, it's between the main road that comes up from the Graywolf and the road the original logging road that goes up on Maynard. Of course, when the plane hit there were no roads. A local guy, Bobby Phillips found the machine gun from the front of the airplane when he was building the road up there in 57. More recently, someone found one of the main LG's and managed to drag it down to the road. Supposedly, the tire was still inflated. I've been told the FS has the coordinates of that crash, but have never checked it out. The trail you're referring to on three o clock ridge was built by a local fella Ralph McClanahan around 58. The original river trail is just a short ways below the road there and I think that trail on three o clock ridge is probably where the TH was at one time. That was as far as they had the road punched in there at that time. Hope this helps, Rich

[Phil]

Awesome stories, Rich! I gotta ask after your sources. I've found some great self-published documents on Olympics history in the King County library system. Phil

[RPBrown]

Phil, Thanks. I'm a local history buff. My sources are, well, I've just BS'd a lot of ole timers over the years. Most of my family were loggers on the peninsula and were pretty familiar with what things were named and why. My grandpa built trails for the CCC's based at Penny Creek. I've found Robert Wood wrong more than he's right when he starts trying to explain historical things. However, he is good with the trail reports.