Forum Index > Trip Reports > Royal Creek trail 3-4-12
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FungiFan
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FungiFan
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PostMon Mar 05, 2012 7:21 pm 
For our first real hike of the year the initial plan was to head up the Dungeness trail as far as time and trail allowed but we ended up doing the Royal Creek trail instead. We hit showers around 7 Cedars but once on the Forest Service roads the rain stopped and the sky cleared somewhat. The road in was fine except for a few places where my Forester was at its limits in terms of clearance over the packed snow. Despite our late start we found an empty parking lot...and the pit toilet has returned up.gif .
Packed parking lot...
Packed parking lot...
The trail had patches of snow and ice but was mostly bare for the first few miles.
Dungeness River
Dungeness River
Trail along the Dungeness Rover
Trail along the Dungeness Rover
Frozen tributary
Frozen tributary
Royal Creek bridge
Royal Creek bridge
Eventually we encountered more icy conditions and donned our Microspikes.
Icicles
Icicles
Tributary
Tributary
Partially frozen tributary
Partially frozen tributary
Crusty ice formations
Crusty ice formations
We got to the site of last years big avalanche to find only a few inches of snow where there was 20+ feet last year in June, and our first glimpse up into the high country. The cloud cover quickly moved in after that.
The site of last years big avalanche
The site of last years big avalanche
Looking up the Royal Creek drainage. First glimpse of the mountains
Looking up the Royal Creek drainage. First glimpse of the mountains
Mt's Walkinshaw and Clarke?
Mt's Walkinshaw and Clarke?
From then on the trail was mostly snow covered and deeper with some minor postholing.
Royal Creek
Royal Creek
Royal Creek
Royal Creek
Royal Creek
Royal Creek
Somebody found it too difficult to carry out 2oz of empty beer cans and left them right on the trail instead down.gif
Trash
Trash
They came home with us. We came across some fresh tracks, if anyone can ID them I would appreciate it.
Royal Creek
Royal Creek
Royal Creek
Royal Creek
Royal Creek
Royal Creek
We reached our TAT and returned to the car before dark. According to the GPS we had made it in about 5 miles. Much further than I would have anticipated given the amount of snow at the parking lot. FF

Stupid isn't illegal...but sure comes with consequences. Famous last words: 'Here, hold my beer and watch this.'
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Phil
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Phil
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PostTue Mar 06, 2012 8:41 am 
FungiFan wrote:
Trail along the Dungeness Rover
Trail along the Dungeness Rover
Very nice.

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Slide Alder Slayer
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PostTue Mar 06, 2012 9:09 am 
The picture is focused or your shoe, hard to tell on the tracks except they appear to be feline. I am unable to distinguish freeze melt cycles or determine how fresh they are to estimate actual size of print.

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FungiFan
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PostTue Mar 06, 2012 9:42 am 
Sorry about the focus. The tracks were very fresh and perfectly lined up which I have never seen before. The second picture is a totally different set of tracks, I just realized that may create some confusion . FF

Stupid isn't illegal...but sure comes with consequences. Famous last words: 'Here, hold my beer and watch this.'
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half fast
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half fast
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PostTue Mar 06, 2012 9:47 am 
Slide Alder Slayer wrote:
...hard to tell on the tracks except they appear to be feline.
gotta agree... here kitty kitty smile.gif I really like that trail... up.gif up.gif Looks like a fun trip FungiFan !! Thanks for sharing... biggrin.gif

It's all about the fun, oh and maybe the chocolate - half fast
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puzzlr
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PostTue Mar 06, 2012 11:09 pm 
FungiFan wrote:
Mt's Walkinshaw and Clarke?
Mt's Walkinshaw and Clarke?
You must have taken that at the same spot I did in the summer of 09 (need a song for that). At the time I was intimately familiar with those peaks and labelled them like this:
Last look back at the peaks along Royal Creek. From left to right: Clark, Adelaide, and Walkinshaw
Last look back at the peaks along Royal Creek. From left to right: Clark, Adelaide, and Walkinshaw

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Slide Alder Slayer
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PostFri Mar 09, 2012 12:42 pm 
First set Mountain Lion or Lynx, second set Bobcat.

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silence
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PostSat Mar 10, 2012 10:49 am 
so cool that you got in there ... so what was the elevation when you turned back and what was elevation where last year's avy debris was? the no fires sign ... 3500'?

PHOTOS FILMS Keep a good head and always carry a light bulb. – Bob Dylan
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FungiFan
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PostSun Mar 11, 2012 12:46 pm 
@puzzlr - thanks for confirming the peaks. I suspect your right about the photo spot - it is the first place you get a good look up the valley and can see the mountains. @SAS - thanks for ID's on the tracks. I suspected ML for the big set but have never seen them before. @silence we got up just over 4000' per our GPS. On Google Earth the avy chute is about 3500' FF

Stupid isn't illegal...but sure comes with consequences. Famous last words: 'Here, hold my beer and watch this.'
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Slugman
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PostSun Mar 11, 2012 3:37 pm 
Excellent report. I would have guessed there'd be a lot more snow.

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FungiFan
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PostMon Mar 12, 2012 8:40 am 
Slugman wrote:
I would have guessed there'd be a lot more snow.
We did too. That part of the Olympics does enjoy the rain shadow effect...though it made little difference last season. FF

Stupid isn't illegal...but sure comes with consequences. Famous last words: 'Here, hold my beer and watch this.'
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coho
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PostWed Mar 14, 2012 3:14 pm 
Nice work getting out there so early. I was wondering what the conditions were like in that area. First set of tracks is certainly a cat, most likely cougar. Although there are some big bobcats on the peninsula (no lynx though). Neat how the tracks are in a near straight line.

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