[Ancient Ambler]

Inspired by Schmidt Alti-dude and babe, took off from the office and reached the Dungeness TH at 7PM, hoping to beat both the incoming nasty weather and the darkness. No other cars at the TH lot, and the last sign-in on the trail register was a couple days before. Goal was to check out the collapsed log bridge across the Dungeness a half mile downstream from Camp Handy, scout out an alternative crossing, and get some cardio in before another onslaught of winter shut down the mountains. At the TH, there's a sign that pretty much promises replacement of the collapsed bridge during 2008:

Notice at TH signboard

However, I had called the Quilcene Ranger Station earlier in the day and the woman I spoke with said replacement during 2008 is now looking less likely. Thus the scouting for alternatives. Had hoped the usual Sequim magic would kick in and provide rainshadow blue skies for my evening jaunt, but while there was sunshine near the SR 104/101 junction, the skies were gray by the time I turned off 101 onto Louella, and heavy rain was falling as I picked my way through the potholes on FR 2870. At the TH, though, the rain subsided, and I got a very pleasant walk through the moss-covered terrain between the TH and the bridge across Royal Creek.

~3/4 mile from TH

Log bridge across Royal Creek

After crossing Royal Creek and ascending the Dungeness trail, stopped at Fern Rock for some photos:

Dungeness at Fern Rock

Down river

About an hour out from the TH, reached the remains of the collapsed log bridge across the Dungeness, and it's looking worse than ever.

collapsed bridge 1/2 mile below Camp Handy

zero bridge deck traction

From west bank

Whitewater over remains of log bridge

The river is running high and fast, and this was on a very cool day without benefit of runoff from melting of the massive amounts of snow still present in the upper Dungeness drainage. There is no way I would attempt the collapsed log bridge now, and fording the river at the horse crossing is very much out of the question.

Dungeness near horse crossing

Dungeness just upstream from horse crossing

Did not go upriver to scout out log crossings, but I had noticed a trusty log is still present about a quarter mile downriver from the collapsed bridge. It spans the river from flat bottomland that contains the remains of an old trail where the present trail has been routed higher up on the sidehill. However, this log crossing is complicated by a very slick surface when wet, as it was when I was there. You definitely would not want to fall off of this log crossing into the whitewater below.

Log across Dungeness ~1/4 downstream of collapsed bridge

Don't fall here

Dicey crossing

Made it back to the 4Runner around 9:15 in the gathering dark and faced a new challenge. Very thick clouds had settled over the mountains, cutting visibility to less than 100 feet all too often. It was dark enough that I needed my lights to see, but the light scatter off the fog further reduced visibility. FR 2870 is a serpentine road for too many miles from the Baldy spur road intersection toward Three O'Clock Ridge, and there are many sharp, deep dropoffs from the road edge. To complicate matters a bit more, the darkness, dense fog and moist road surface made it very difficult to see the many water-filled potholes until I was right on them. I proceeded in a tedious crawl, with pothole water splashing into the headlight glare, trying to keep the downhill road edge in sight. The fog dissipated once I reached Dungeness Forks, but appeared again in even denser form once I reached Palo Alto Road, down which I proceeded at 25 MPH compared to the posted 50 MPH. Needless to say, I got home way past my bedtime.

[sequimjack]

Great report . . . looks bad for awhile

[mtngrl]

Bummer! But, thanks for the info and pictures. That log a quarter mile below the bridge looks somewhat hopeful though, at least once the water levels decrease.

[reststep]

Thanks for checking that out Ancient Ambler. I hope to check out your route to Deception Basin sometime.

[Schmidt Alti-Dude]

Great RTD (Race the Darkness) AA.

[goats gone wild]

Thanks for the info, AA. Glad you made it out safe albeit late.