[crabio]

Yes, that’s right … the group ABBA … but I’ll get to that later. The plan was to head to Marmot Pass and then on up to the summit of Buckhorn Mountain. Got to the TH about 7am … me and 2 other cars and that was it except for the guy in the tent with the 2 dogs. I’m sure my big diesel truck rolling by him that early did not make him a happy camper. Sorry about that !

01 - At the Big Quilcene Trailhead

02 - Lonely in the parking lot at 7am

On the trail you immediately enter the Buckhorn Wilderness. That’s appropriate since Buckhorn is my destination.

03 - Entering the Buckhorn Wilderness

This is one well used trail. Well groomed … heavily used … really nice. A pretty easy hike all the way to Shelter Rock camp.

04 - Homemade footbridge

05 - Messy waterfall

06 - Sunrise on the trail

07 - Water on the trail

08 - Shelter Rock Camp

After you leave Shelter Rock the trail begins the slow slog up and up and up. It’s not a bad slog though. Lots of views and the up is not straight up (like Lake Constance).

09 - Trail views begin

10 - Trail views headed up

11 - Marmot Pass on the right in the distance

12 - Marmot Pass way off in the distance

13 - Nice trail

14 - Trail across the scree field

Arrived at Camp Mystery and discovered only 1 tent there.

15 - Camp Mystery - Orange tent in the woods

16 - Camp Mystery

After Camp Mystery, you head up a gorgeous meadow to the cliff wall and then up around that to the final walk up to Marmot Pass.

17 - Heading up the meadow toward the cliff wall

18 - Trail along the cliff wall

19 - Looking back down the meadow

On the way up I was able to get my first good looks at Buckhorn and what I still had ahead of me.

20 - First good look at my destination - GULP!

21 - Oh wow .... that's a long way up

22 - Still looks like a long way

Once I stopped looking up I finally reached the pass.

22a - Approaching Marmot Pass

22aaa - Approaching Parmot Pass

23 - View from Marmot Pass

23a - Me at Marmot Pass with Buckhorn Mountian in the distance

24 - View from Marmot Pass

25 - Time from TH to Marmot Pass

26 - View from Marmot Pass

At this point I’d like to thank seattlehikertoo for his TR on this part of the hike. I had printed out his TR and carried it in my pocket so that I could refer to it if I had some questions on where to go once I left the trail. As I was standing at Marmot Pass, I read this line from his TR: I took the foot path north, and at the first jct headed to the right up the steep shoulder of Buckhorn Mt. The wildflowers and the scenery continued to engulf me with such intensity, that I barely noticed the 800 or so feet to the summit ridge I would gain in the next half mile. I would soon come to realize that while he might have barely noticed the 800 feet to the summit ridge, I, on the other hand, noticed NOTHING BUT THE 800 FEET !

27 - Heading up the ridge to Buckhorn

28 - Heading up the ridge to Buckhorn

29 - Marmot Pass in the distance - bottom left

29a - Marmot Pass in the distance - center

30 - Heading up the ridge on Buckhorn

31 - Heading up the ridge on Buckhorn

32 - Heading up the ridge on Buckhorn

33 - Heading up the ridge on Buckhorn

Finally reached the top of the ridge and realized that I’m way up high now. Time to test out my fear of heights

34 - On top of the ridge

35 - Must peer over the edge

36 - Not scared ... must peer over

37 - A little more

38 - Peering over the edge !

39 - Still peering

Once you get on top of the ridge, it’s a pretty easy hike all the way to the base of the summit itself. Real easy to follow the trail.

40 - Heading to the summit of Buckhorn

41 - Summit in sight - on the left

42 - Heading to the summit of Buckhorn

This was my first good look at the summit. You can’t see it in the picture but look at the square rock in the center of the picture on the summit. At this point, I could see that there was someone sitting up there. That’s where I want to sit !

43 - Heading to the summit of Buckhorn

Ok … here’s where ABBA comes in. You figure I’ve been hiking now for going on 4 hours and as I started to climb that last incline to the summit I realized that for the entire hike I had been humming the song SOS by ABBA for the entire trip. Once I realized it, I tried to stop singing it in my head and the harder I tried, the worse it got. I even started humming it out loud ! I knew I had to stop before I got to the summit because if I broke out into song when I got to the summit, I just knew that the person that was up there was gonna toss my butt right off the edge. So … stifling that stupid song … I made my way up the last little push.

44 - Heading to the summit of Buckhorn

44a - 15 foot Boulder

45 - Almost there

45a - Last little summit push

45aa - Easter Island Face Rock

Finally …. Got to the top and met a nice guy by the name of Thane. We talked a bit and he agreed to take a few pictures for me.

46 - On the summit

47 - Celebration

48 - The required shoe shot

After we sat for a while, Thane looked over and asked … “What’s that on top of that rock over there on the edge of the summit ?” Hmmmm … Craig needs to go see !

49 - See the tall rock in the center ?

49a - I must go stand on it !

50 - Standing on the rock !

51 - Now to get down ... Hmmmmm ....

It was a cairn ! I, of course, added my little rock to it. Since I was in my exploring mode now … and way way up high, I decided to test out my fear of heights thing. I discovered that when I get short of breath, mutter things to myself like “what are you thinking”, and feel my toes scrunch up in my boots so tight that I could make diamonds out of the sand between my toes, that’s a clear indication that I am STILL SCARED OF HEIGHTS !!!!

52 - Time to test my fear of heights

53 - Fear of heights test

53a - Fear of heights test

54 - Fear of heights test

55 - Fear of heights test

56 - Fear of heights test

57 - Fear of heights test

57a - Fear of heights test

After I got all that out of my system, Thane headed down and I was left to enjoy the summit all to myself for the next hour.

58 - Buckhorn Summit View

59 - Buckhorn Lake

60 - Iron Mountain

60a - Buckhorn Summit View

61 - Buckhorn Summit View

62 - Buckhorn Summit View

63 - Buckhorn Summit View

64 - Buckhorn Summit View

65 - Buckhorn Summit View

66 - Buckhorn Summit View

67 - Buckhorn Summit View

68 - Buckhorn Summit View

After a while I thought I saw something off in the distance. I then realized that it was Thane heading back to his camp to meet up with his Mom … and I could actually see them from this far up.

69 - Look close at the ridge for the 2 white dots

70 - See the white dots ?

71 - My new friend on his way down

I made another friend while I was having lunch.

72 - My lunch companion

After I took a nap, I woke up to this sight.

73 - Buckhorn Summit View

74 - Buckhorn Summit View

Headed back down to the TH. On the way up, I only encountered one other person … Thane. On the way down ? I bet I passed 30 or more people on their way up. Camp Mystery was packed by the time I came back down. This sure does seem to be a very popular place. If you want solitude, start real early and enjoy it while you can. When I hit the TH, I was surprised to see how full the lot had gotten.

75 - Not so lonely in the parking lot anymore

Trip Stats: Top Elevation - 6988 ft Elevation Gain ~4500 ft TH to Marmot Pass – 2:50 Marmot Pass to Buckhorn summit: 1:00 Time on Summit: 2:00 Summit to TH: 2:30 Total Time: 8:20

[Tag Man]

Looks like you made good time. I didn't go up Buckhorn when I went up in June. Instead I went up the other ridge from Marmot Pass. Nice flat area up there with some nice little spots to camp. Definitely one of my favorite hikes, minus the hordes of people and poodles. Now you need to check out Royal Basin before the snow flies.

[Canuck]

There is nothing wrong with ABBA. I, in fact, quite like that song. And it's not a super popular song so the fact that you know it enough to be humming it on a trail means you, too, must like ABBA. Anyway nice photos. I went to Marmot Pass earlier this year but not Buckhorn, but thanks to your detailed report, I feel like I was there!

[bobbi]

okay! congrats on your summit of buckhorn mtn. great TR and photos as usual, entertaining so are you done with your fear of heights? yes, the upper royal basin is doable as a day hike, about 7+ one way. do it early as the days are closing in! my 'twin' and i may be heading to marmot at the end of the month for an overnighter or two. we want to go to home lake/constance pass.