[Double_E]

#BelatedTripReport A few weeks ago, I had about a day and a half to work with, so figured it was maybe time to hike the trail from the Dosewallips River to Constance Pass, which had been on my list for a while. I’d done pretty much all other trails in the Dose drainage, so it was time to check this one off the list! I biked the 6.5 miles up to the Dose trailhead/campground, which in itself was pretty cool, being there the first time in a long time. About two years ago, I’d gone bike-camping at the Elkhorn Campground, but other than that, this was the first time I’d been up that whole valley since 2002 I think (Lake Constance), and the last time I’d been to the old Dose Trailhead was the mid-1990s, when you could still drive there. So this was pretty rad to go revisit this area. With a touring bike with 700x32c tires (or some might prefer a mountain bike), you can bike most of the way up to the old trailhead.... had to walk about 7or 8 sections though, some of them short, some of a couple hundred vertical feet (one very close to the current parking area, and then one very close to the Dose Campground).

#multimodal

NPS boundary

one of the several landslides/washouts on the Dose road

ye olde post-apocalyptic-feeling Dose trailhead signs

Anyway, so I locked up my bike to a tree at the trailhead, then hiked 1.5 mile in to Dose Forks campsite, and camped the night there. Dose Forks is a beautiful site, in a bit of a canyon/gorge in the river. Saw only two other parties there, maybe 4 people total, not bad for a Saturday night. (Had seen many parties hiking into, and at, the Dose campground at the trailhead tho... not surprising, cause that place is gorgeous, should have taken pics of that; need to come back and just camp there some time.)

Dose Forks campsite

Dose Forks campsite

Dose Forks campsite

The next morning, I hiked the long slog up and over the flat-topped 6576’ unnamed peak, to Constance Pass. The smoke from the BC fires had died down enough (and the smoke from the WA fires hadn’t started up too much) to where I got great views of Constance, Mystery, Olympus, and many other mighty ones. All told that second day was about 5500' of uphill, 5650' of downhill... oof, had been a while since I'd done anything over about 4K... my knees and quads were hating me for a few days after that.

first sightings of big rocky things

lovely little crick, near Sunnybrook Meadows

tiny pond near Sunnybrook Meadows... with a bazillion huge tadpoles in it. Took a pic of them but it didn't turn out too well

Sunnybrook Meadows

wildflowers near Sunnybrook Meadows

approaching 6576' peak

Mt Constance and its many huge neighbors, from top of 6576' unnamed peak

Mt Constance and its many huge neighbors, including ... The Brothers at far right??

Mt Olympus in the distance, and Mt Mystery (?) on the right, from top of 6576' unnamed peak

rock wall campsite shelter on top of 6576' unnamed peak en route to Constance Pass

Constance Pass

Quick water note, for those who might want to camp in the rock shelters on top of the unnamed peak, or at Constance Pass: there’s a stream you pass, just a bit past Sunnybrook Meadows, at about 5800’ (trail doesn’t go over it, but you can hear it off to the left as you're going uphill).

[awilsondc]

Looks like a nice trip! Good views from up that way, I like the unique feel of the Olympics. Need to get out that way for Constance soon!

[reststep]

Thanks for report and pictures from one of my favorite places in the Olympics. I still need to do that route from Sunny Brook Meadows to Gunsight Pass. Don't know if it will ever happen but it is on my list.