Forum Index > Trip Reports > Falls View, Rocky Brook Falls, Dose Trail (Olys) 02-28-14
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Ancient Ambler
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Location: Bainbridge Island
Ancient Ambler
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PostSun Mar 02, 2014 10:00 am 
Took off on Friday, February 28 for the Olympic Peninsula later than I had hoped and in a sort of grumpy mood. Southbound on 101 past Quilcene, decided to check out the Big Quilcene River from the closed USFS Falls View Campground, which I had never before taken the time to visit despite passing it hundreds of times on my way somewhere else. The gate at the entrance on 101 was closed, so I parked there and walked in to the waterfall overlook, mistakenly leaving my tripod behind in the 4Runner. Didn't exactly help my mood, but the view down at the waterfall plunging from a tributary creek into the Big Quilcene river provided some mitigation.
Waterfall at Falls View
Waterfall at Falls View
Took a look at the map on the reader board and found that there is a trail from that point down to the river and then south along the Big Quilcene to a loop trail that gets down close to the river.
Falls View trail sign
Falls View trail sign
Headed down there and out to the loop and was very glad I did.
Falls View trail 2
Falls View trail 2
Falls View trail 3
Falls View trail 3
Big Quilcene River 2
Big Quilcene River 2
Big Quilcene River 3
Big Quilcene River 3
Big Quilcene River 4
Big Quilcene River 4
Big Quilcene River
Big Quilcene River
Big Quilcene River 6
Big Quilcene River 6
Big Quilcene River 7
Big Quilcene River 7
Thanks to some river therapy, left my grumpiness behind and headed back to the car. Decided to stop at Rocky Brook on the way up the Dosewallips Road to check out the waterfall, and was glad I did. It was definitely running full bore on February 28.
Rocky Brook falls
Rocky Brook falls
Back on the road, was surprised to find some patchy snow on the road as it neared the Dosewallips TH. The low clouds that were banked up over Hood Canal earlier had dissipated and I started hiking up the Dose trail under blue skies and sunshine.
Dose at the washout
Dose at the washout
Dosewallips from above the washoutl
Dosewallips from above the washoutl
Was surprised to see the road/trail snow-covered on the upriver side of the washout bypass trail. It remained covered with a few inches of snow to Elkhorn Camp, where I spent some time taking photos and soaking up the sun while eating lunch.
Dosewallips trail
Dosewallips trail
Dosewallips River near Elkhorn Camp
Dosewallips River near Elkhorn Camp
Dose moss
Dose moss
Dose River snow
Dose River snow
Sun-limned maples at Elkhorn Camp
Sun-limned maples at Elkhorn Camp
Downriver from Elkhorn 2
Downriver from Elkhorn 2
After a long leisurely lunch, decided to head up the Dose trail to get a view of Dose Falls, which I figured would be about as far as I could go and still get back home on time. The trail heading west uphill from Elkhorn was shaded, cool and snow-covered until it sort of levels out around 1350 feet, at which point there was more bare ground.
trail past Elkhorn 1
trail past Elkhorn 1
The snow-cover resumed near the Park boundary and got deeper (about 8 inches) heading over toward Constance Creek. In this section there were a number of downed trees across the road, including one clump of about 10 trees. No real problems getting around or over them. As Ranger Rock showed in her recent Dose hike video, there was a lot of fallen debris on the road/trail where it passes under the overhanging rock just before the first views of Dose Falls. There was plenty of water dripping down from that overhanging rock as I passed through there, and with conditions like that and the evidence of other fresh looking fallen debris, it's hard not to imagine big chunks of rock losing their grip on the overhang and falling down at an inappropriate time. Thankfully, that did not come to pass. Took some time in the snow around the bend to appreciate Dose Falls, which was running full-bore.
Dose Falls
Dose Falls
Dose Falls 2
Dose Falls 2
After bagging a few photos, packed up and started the snow slog back to my car. I've often found February and March to be a good time to head up the Dose, and I'm glad that this year was no exception.

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Yana
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Joined: 04 Jun 2004
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Yana
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PostSun Mar 02, 2014 10:11 am 
Awesome photos, thanks for sharing! up.gif up.gif

PLAY SAFE! SKI ONLY IN CLOCKWISE DIRECTION! LET'S ALL HAVE FUN TOGETHER!
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ranger rock
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Joined: 14 Dec 2011
Posts: 2550 | TRs | Pics
ranger rock
One of the boys
PostSun Mar 02, 2014 11:33 am 
Nice pictures and report, I think "Big Quilcene River 6" is my favorite I like the mist. I've never been able to take a picture of the Dose falls that I really like, so I stopped trying. I like your picture of Dose falls though. I don't like the idea of rocks suddenly falling on my head while I am hiking. Maybe I'll move through that one section a little bit faster from now on.

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reststep
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reststep
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PostSun Mar 02, 2014 12:34 pm 
Thanks for the report AA. You picked a nice spring like day for the hike. That day the barometer was down to a sea level reading of about 29.60 with a north wind and a clear sky. I think we often do not get that kind of weather with such a low barometer reading. It seems very unusual. I wonder if Cliff Mass wrote anything about it.

"The mountains are calling and I must go." - John Muir
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Akula
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Akula
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PostSun Mar 02, 2014 7:45 pm 
Very nice pictures. I agree with RR, number 6 is an excellent shot. Thanks for sharing

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, dream, discover. -- Mark Twain
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alnick
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alnick
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PostSat Dec 28, 2019 1:23 am 
Great images! Takes me back 65 years when I was a forest Service guard on the Dose at Corrigenda. Al Nickelson

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