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RodF
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PostSun May 04, 2014 10:45 pm 
This is a list of trails abandoned by NPS since it took over administration of Mount Olympus National Monument in 1933 and Olympic National Park was designated in 1938. On the 75th anniversary of Olympic National Park, and during the current Wilderness Stewardship Plan process, I hope hikers will be more aware of the history of Olympic NP trail system. NPS has determined the Olympic NP Historic Trails District is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Nearly all the Park's wilderness trails were built by USFS. NPS has abandoned almost 1/3 of the trail mileage. This draft list of 239.5 miles of abandoned trails is certainly incomplete, and I'd appreciate help and suggestions. References are to the maps on which each abandoned trail is depicted. Abandoned trail; miles; references. Griff Peak loop; 2.5; O40,P56 Krause Bottom; 1.3; O41 Anderson Ranch; 2.0; O41,W28 Humes upriver; 1; H50 Seek Way Trail; 0.7; W29 upper Lillian River; 4.7; T32,W30,O40,O41,M44,O48,P56 Long Creek; 11; M35,O36,O40 Ferry Glacier; 2; M35 Godkin Creek; 3 old Cox Valley; 8; P18,O23,T32,O36,O40,O41,M42,L49 new Cox Valley/Morse Creek; 5.5; P18,O23,O36,O40,O41,P41,M42,W42,M44,O48,M56 Boundary (Deer Park); 2; T32,M44 Wells Valley; 3; O18 Lake Lillian; 7; OMR Old Dosewallips; 2; O18,T32,O33,C38,B47,U57,W81 Muscott Basin; 6; T32,O33,C38,O40,B47,P56,U57,W82 Dosewallips Terrace Nature; 1 Scout Lake; 6; W99 Mount Hopper; 6; O33,O36,O40,U57,W119 Smith Lake; 2.1; O18,T32,O33,O41,S47,O48,L49,W115 Hammer Creek; 2.5; T32,O33,O36,O40,O41,S47,O48 Black and White Lakes; 2.0; O18,O23,T32,O33,W116 above Flapjack Lakes; 1.5; S47,U57 Mount Lincoln; 2.4; T32,O33,S47,O48,L49,U57 Four Stream; 1.5; O40,S47,O48,U57 O'Neil, Four to Seven Stream; 5 O'Neil Creek; 7; O23,O30,O40,O41,S47,O48 Mt. Olson; 8.5; T32,O33,O36,O40,O41,S47,O48,W118 Sundown Lake-Wynoochee Pass; 1; O23,T32,O33,O36 Pyrites Creek; 3; O33,O40,S47,O48,W142 Rustler Creek; 2.5; O36,O40,O48,C50,P56,W147 Finley Ridge; 9; O18,O23,O30,O33,O36,O40,O48,C50,W146 Promise Creek; 7.5; O23,O30,T30,T32,O33,O36,O40,C50 Bunch Lake; 4; O37 Mt. Baldy/O'Neil; 3; O23,O33,O40 Howe Creek; 4.5; T30,T32,O33,O40,C50 Lake Connie; 4; O33,O38,O40 Litchey Creek; 2; T30,T32,C50,P56 Higley Peak; 4.5; O40,U57 Canoe Creek; 5; O18,O40 Sams River; 4.5; T32,O36,O40,O41,L49,P56,W151 Lower Crossing; 2.1; O36,S56,U57 Upper Crossing; 0.3 Tshletshy Creek; 16.2; T32,O33,O36,O38,O40,O41,O48,L49,C50,P56,K56,U57,W154 Kloochman Rock south; 3.4; O41,P56,W153 Kloochman Rock east; 2; O18,O41 Harlow Creek/Pettit; 1; O36,O40 upper Queets (to Hee Hee or Kilkelly Creek); 4; O33,O36,O40,O48,L49,P56 Mt. Tom Creek; 4; T32,O36,T39,O40,O48,L49,P56,W160 Falls Creek; 4; O18,O23,T32,M35,O40,O48,M50 upper South Fork Hoh; 5; O36,T39,O40,O48,L49,P56 Jackson-Big Flat; 7; O36,T39,O40,O48 Geodetic Hill; 4.0; W166 Sugarloaf Mtn; 2; T32 upper Barnes Creek; 5.5; O36,O40,O41,O48,P56,W4 upper North Fork Sol Duc; 1.5; O36,O40,O41,O48,W171 Happy Lake Creek; 3; O36,O41,O48,P56 Crystal Ridge; 3.0; O18,O23,M35,O41,O48,M50,W17 Olympic Hot Springs (to West Elwha); 2; O23,O48,E50 Allens Bay, Lake Ozette; 4.8 Ozette River; 2; M42 Roose's Prairie; 1; M42 Lake Ozette east shore; 6; M42 total; 239.5 miles References: O18 1918 Olympic National Forest map link P18 1918 USGS/USArmy Port Angeles topographic map* O23 1923 Olympic National Forest map link O30 1930 Olympic National Forest map link T30 1930 Jim Taplin "Olympic Trail Guide" map link T32 1932 Jim Taplin, "Olympic Trail Guide" map link O33 1933 Olympic National Forest map link M35 USGS 1935 Mt. Olympus 15 minute topographic map* O36 Olympic National Forest 1936 Recreational Guides link O37 1936 Olympic National Forest wall map link C38 USGS Mt. Constance 15-minute topographic map* O38 1938 Olympic National Forest map T39 1939 USGS Mount Tom 15-minute topographic map* O40 1940 Olympic National Park Map link O41 1941 Olympic National Forest map link P41 1941 USGS Port Angeles 15-minute topographic map* M42 1942 Metsker map link M44 1944 USGS Mount Angeles 15 minute topographic map* B47 1947 USGS The Brothers 15-minute topographic map* S47 1947 USGS Mt. Steel 15 minute topographic map* O48 1948 Olympic National Forest map link link link L49 1949 Leissler "Olympic National Park" Guide (NPS, 1949) link C50 USGS 1950 Mt. Christy 15-minute topographic map* E50 USGS 1950 Elwha 15-minute topographic map* H50 USGS 1950 Hurricane Hill 15-minute topographic map* M50 USGS 1950 Mount Carrie 7.5-minute topographic map* K56 USGS 1956 Kloochman Rock 15-minute topographic map* M56 1956 USGS Morse Creek 15 minute topographic map* P56 1956 Pargeter "Olympics in Relief" map link S56 1956 USGS Salmon River 15-minute topographic map* U57 1957 USGS Olympic National Park & vicinity 1:125,000 map link Wnn, nn=trail number in Robert L. Wood, "Olympic Mountains Trail Guide", Mountaineers Books, 3rd edition, 2000. OMR, Olympic Mountain Rescue, "Olympic Mountains: A Climbing Guide", 4th edition, 2006, pp. 323-327. *available for download at the USGS Historical Topographic Map collection link The list is semi-colon delimited text, for import/export from spreadsheets. The trail mileages are either from published trail maps or descriptions, or are map estimates which are typically 10 to 15% short of actual trail mileage. On trails which cross Park boundary, only the mileage within the Park is listed. On trails which are only partially abandoned, only the mileage abandoned is listed.

"of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt" - John Muir "the wild is not the opposite of cultivated. It is the opposite of the captivated” - Vandana Shiva
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PostMon May 05, 2014 11:27 am 
Sams River; 12.0 Tshletshy Creek; 16.2 Kloochman Rock south; 3.4 Kloochman Rock east; 2 Harlow Creek/Pettit; 1 upper Queets (to Hee Hee Creek); 2.6 noticed you grouped those all together so it would be easier for me. smile.gif I think most of the Sams River Trail was on ONF land, wasn't it? first 4.5 miles within ONP, remaining 7.5 miles in ONF. my previous numbers here Kloochman Rock East? you talking about that dashed line on that old Metsker Map? that's the only place I've ever seen it. never heard of any report of it anywhere else. not mentioned in the Marshall or Kittredge interviews or any other document I've seen. Earl Pettit? was that ever part of any official trail inventory? only shows up on that early Metsker map. upper Queets to Hee Hee: well.... I think it's reasonable to conclude that there was trail there: oral reports from Patton and Orr and Gay H. (with photos); documented in 1938 founding legislation papers; reported in Shaube's 1966 letter to Supt. Gage; as well as appearing on at least one or two early maps (cartographic errors notwithstanding.) but where'd you get the mileage number? because if we're to believe Kittredge and Marshall and Patton and Orr, it looks to me like it went up to Kilkelly (as Gay's photos attest to), in which case I'd say more like 4-4.5 miles. - Upper Crossing Way Trail: Pangratz last brushed it out in 2008. easy to find western half. big blowdown about halfway back makes east half of trail impossible to find. Lower Crossing Way Trail: no idea when last worked. tried to find top end of it in 2003. big chunk of top end fell into river. not sure if you'd even be able to find a piece of it on the east (south) bank anymore.

"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
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Phil
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PostMon May 05, 2014 12:35 pm 
Not the first thread on this topic but I think we can always use more and I like the list format up.gif Is the Lake Connie trail listed different from Litchy Creek? I dont recall ever seeing a specific LC trail...I just remember the old Litchy creek trail being marked. Without digging into references I recall that there was a mine in the upper north fork skokomish basin....logically they had a trail? Also maybe some old trails around Tubal Caine and up Iron Mt.

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Seventy2002
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PostMon May 05, 2014 3:59 pm 
Fletcher Canyon is in the National Forest. The first edition of Wood's guide places it in the Park. The error was subsequently corrected. The trail runs roughly parallel to the Park boundary, about a mile to the east.

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RodF
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PostTue May 06, 2014 9:01 am 
Phil wrote:
Is the Lake Connie trail listed different from Litchy Creek? I dont recall ever seeing a specific LC trail...I just remember the old Litchy creek trail being marked.
1932 Taplin "Olympic Trail Guide" map shows the complete Howe Creek Trail (4-1/2 miles long) and Litchey Creek trail (4 miles), and the 1950 USGS Mount Christie shows the Howe Creek and remaining lower section of the Litchey Creek trail. The 1938 Olympic National Forest map shows the separate Lake Connie Trail as originating on the Quinault River 1-1/2 miles below Litchey Creek and climbing up over the ridge, rather than up Litchey Creek. Olsons used it to pack fisherman into the lake.
Lake Connie Trail 1938 ONF map
Lake Connie Trail 1938 ONF map
Seventy2002 wrote:
Fletcher Canyon is in the National Forest. The first edition of Wood's guide places it in the Park. The error was subsequently corrected. The trail runs roughly parallel to the Park boundary, about a mile to the east [correction:west].
Good catch! I'll remove it, and make the other corrections Ski suggested as time permits.

"of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt" - John Muir "the wild is not the opposite of cultivated. It is the opposite of the captivated” - Vandana Shiva
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Phil
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PostTue May 06, 2014 3:22 pm 
Good stuff Rod. up.gif Howe Creek and Litchy would be fun to explore from the road side. In my experience upper Litchy is pretty bad stuff. down.gif

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PostTue May 06, 2014 3:49 pm 
RodF wrote:
I will add references to the maps on which each abandoned trail is depicted
What maps are you talking about and where can one see them?

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PostTue May 06, 2014 3:58 pm 
> Rod's "map" posts in the History forum.

"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
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RodF
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PostFri May 09, 2014 6:09 am 
Map references have been added to the original posting, and corrections have been made.
Ski wrote:
Kloochman Rock East? you talking about that dashed line on that old Metsker Map? that's the only place I've ever seen it. never heard of any report of it anywhere else. not mentioned in the Marshall or Kittredge interviews or any other document I've seen.
It appears as early as the 1918 Olympic NF map, so was probably the original route up Kloochman Rock. It is best shown on this 1941 Olympic National Forest map. The "new" trail up Coal Creek was probably built for stock access to build the Kloochman Lookout in 1934? The dots indicate phone lines on both trails, continuing up to Bob Creek Shelter. (This phone system would continue to be maintained for Aircraft Warning Service, which manned Kloochman Lookout in 1942-43).
1941 Olympic NF map
1941 Olympic NF map
"Elder Bob" Reese has generously posted my scans of the entire map on his site. Source: National Archives (Seattle), USFS Region 6 Historical Collection, Historical Maps, Map Case Drawer B. ARC Identifier 5155902.

"of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt" - John Muir "the wild is not the opposite of cultivated. It is the opposite of the captivated” - Vandana Shiva
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PostFri May 09, 2014 12:24 pm 
Rod, this is all I can find here: RM:"...We were also connected to the telephone on Kloochman Rock, when they had a lookout station there. In fact when Wilber Northrop was the lookout at Kloochman Rock he and I used to talk back and forth when he used to be on the telephone." MD: "What year was that? Do you remember? Just approximate?" RM: "Oh ’30 or ’31." MD: "Do you recall when they built that?" RM: "On Klootchman Rock? No I don’t." - Interview with Reed Marshall by Mike Dogherty on November 15, 1975. That would have been a ferociously steep trail going up on the east side of that ridge there. The trail up Coal Creek was as steep as any trail I've been on. Curiously, there is no "Lower Crossing" trail shown there. Puzzling because according to the Reed Marshall interview, Oscar Smith drove a wagon up to his place via that route- the Lower Crossing Route- and Smith was only there from 1929 to 1949. RM: "...Road wise one trail goes to the left and up through Spruce Bottom. The other trail crosses the river at the foot of Rock Rapids and goes into the Smith Place." MD: "Oh and joins Tshletshy." RM: "Yeah. They’re both what they call the Tshletshy Creek trail now." MD: "The road went that far?" RM: "The road went that far, a wagon road." MD: "And the county built that that far?" RM: "It was county road. Of course to get across the river was just a ford." RM: "...But to get back to the Queets, he built this up and George went down and he cleared the old trail out and took it through Harry Patton’s place, the John Streater homestead, and crossed at the foot of rock rapids and built the trail up the south side of the river there to Smith’s. And he hauled a lot of stuff in by sled. They got a team of horses and hauled a lot of stuff in by sled. Well then later he widened it out and did a lot of handwork on it and got so that they could take wagons back and forth." MD: "Clear up to the Smith place?" RM: "All the way to the Smith place. In fact he had a surrey with a fringe on top just to haul people back and forth. Of course he had horses too and he left his horses at Kelly’s because Kelly had the feed or they could haul feed in for them. Back in those days you couldn’t get a car as far as the end of the road now. The road ended just about North Creek." MD: "This was about what period?" RM: "Oh ’35 or ’36. In fact when they started… The Park Service took over along about ’40 I guess or more before you could get a car to the mouth of Sam’s Creek." - Interview with Reed Marshall by Mike Dogherty on November 15, 1975. one more note about the length of the trail which is of interest: RM: "...Well then, I’m not exactly sure when it was, but it must have been about 1929 that George Shaube extended the trail as far as a rock bluff about a half a mile above Bob Creek. And that was the end of the trail." MD: "Was that the blasting incident?" RM: "No, no this is different. This is way this side. And this is a trail that went that far. Then it was about 1931 or ’32 that the Forest Service put a big crew of men in there and they took the trail up over the hill. It goes two or three hundred feet over the river at that point, up over the hill and down into the little bottom this side of Paradise. And then over a bluff again at Paradise. And I’m not sure of the year, but in 1930 I know that they weren’t there. But then they took that trail, this big crew… They camped at Camp Creek, they camped at Paradise, they camped at Alta Creek and from Alta Creek they ran out of dynamite and blasting powder. I think that it was John Walkonout from Quinault that was their powder man." MD: "Do you remember who the foreman was?" RM: "A guy by the name of Ford." MD: "Oh and he worked for Schwartz? Or Shaube." RM: "No he was working at that time for the Forest Service. I think Joe Fulton." MD: "Oh okay." RM: "And then they carried the trail as far up the river as the head of Killikelly Rapids. And just above there they ran out of blasting powder. Part of the crew went on up the river scratching out a little pioneer… a little trail up through the bottoms and they crossed the river up around Hee Hee Creek and then they cut out a few logs up what is on your map, Joe Creek. They followed up along that Joe Creek, but they never got to Fall Creek. And that’s where they ended their summer. And I think this fellow’s name was Ford and he took a couple of guys that were in his crew, he took them up to the point of the hill on Hee Hee Creek and he said you two fellows, there’s a camp over on Promise Creek." - Interview with Reed Marshall by Mike Dogherty on November 15, 1975. notes: "Wilber Northrop" should be "Wilbur Northup", if I'm not mistaken. "Klootchman" should be "Kloochman". "Killikelly Rapids" should be "Kilkelly Rapids". I'm fairly confident I've established the location of "Rock Rapids" as that stretch immediately above the ford at the Lower Crossing. Never have been able to figure out where "Joe Creek", "Camp Creek" or "Fall Creek" are located.

"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
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PostFri May 09, 2014 2:12 pm 
re: 1941 ONF map (posted by Rod above) note the trail on the north bank of the river just above the old Killea Guard Station, continuing along the north bank to the present location of where the trail begins (opposite the mouth of the Sams.) I have to wonder if that portion of trail was any on any inventory. note the trail on the north bank just above Killea Guard Station which branches off the main trail and heads in a northerly direction to where? I have to wonder if it's possible that's what BFJ ran into recently. and what's up with the trail up along the upper Solleks that goes from nowhere to nowhere? the trail (with telephone line) that crosses Phelan Creek (at lower left of image) would be about where the current "back door" road is located. (the NPS "Service Road" which connects FS 2180-010 to the Queets Valley Road.)

"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
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PostFri May 09, 2014 2:39 pm 
south bank immediately opposite mouth of Kilkelly 08-23-13 photo courtesy G. Hunter NPS
south bank immediately opposite mouth of Kilkelly 08-23-13 photo courtesy G. Hunter NPS
south bank immediately opposite mouth of Kilkelly 08-23-13 photo courtesy G. Hunter NPS
south bank immediately opposite mouth of Kilkelly 08-23-13 photo courtesy G. Hunter NPS
approximately one-half mile below (south) previous two images directly opposite mouth of Kilkelly 08-23-13 photo courtesy G. Hunter NPS
approximately one-half mile below (south) previous two images directly opposite mouth of Kilkelly 08-23-13 photo courtesy G. Hunter NPS
doesn't look like any elk trace I've ever seen. hunter mystery trail photo

"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
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PostFri May 09, 2014 4:34 pm 
DIdn't they re-name the Kilkelly station?

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PostFri May 09, 2014 7:49 pm 
Kim Brown wrote:
DIdn't they re-name the Kilkelly station?
To help clarify Killea and Kilkelly: Killea (Queets) Ranger Station is at river mile 23. Pelton Shelter (current end of trail) is at river mile 41. Hee Hee Creek (mapped end of trail in 1938) is at river mile 43. Killkelly Creek (Gay Hunter's photos shared above) is at river mile 44.5. There are many mysteries in Queets' rich history, of which we have only fragments. Jaciliee Wray is writing a book on Queets homestead period.

"of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt" - John Muir "the wild is not the opposite of cultivated. It is the opposite of the captivated” - Vandana Shiva
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PostFri May 09, 2014 9:21 pm 
let's see if we can make this any more confusing: Killea [1] Guard Station was built in the winter of 1929 on the former homestead of William Killea, which later became the Kelly Ranch (owned by homesteader Malcom Kelly.) [2] Killea Guard Station was re-named Killea Ranger Station, and subsequently moved about 1/4-1/2 mile upstream so it would be closer to the road, after which it was renamed the Queets Guard Station. The current Queets Ranger Station building was constructed in 1985. [2] Thomas Kilkelly homesteaded on the Queets in 1908. Kilkelly Creek and Kilkelly Rapids are named for him. [3] The correct spelling is K I L K E L L Y. [2] [1]Pronounced like To Kill A Mockingbird – Kill Ā (Spillman 2010). [2](Williams, Wray, NPS) [3](Parratt)
Rod wrote:
There are many mysteries in Queets' rich history, of which we have only fragments.
we are still digging. wink.gif

"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
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