[Phil]

Spent a spectacular Saturday up in the Mt. Tom creek drainage that feeds into the Hoh river. This was a trip with Cye; part of an effort to find wreckage from the lost F-102 jet. My second such trip with Cye; he's tracked all over the Olympics and this drainage in particular this year. I was very fortunate to be partnered with him on this trip because he's been up there numerous times and he knows the ways. Route-finding on the envaginated slopes of the middle to upper Mt Tom creek drainage is anything but straight-forward. My trip started with me racing and failing to catch a 7:45pm ferry out of Edmonds friday night. Missed it by 5 cars (that smarts). Ended up on the 8:20pm ferry, then driving towards the Hoh at 9pm. At this point I could have pulled over and fallen asleep instantly but I had 3+ hours driving to do. On the last legs of a stubborn cold so not looking forward to it. But I soldiered on, supported by a stack of Sonic Youth CDs I hadn't listened to in years. A frustrating pause for 10pm road construction before Seqium, a stop in PA for some fruit and water, finally pulling in to the Hoh parking lot around 12:30am, groggy and dizzy, yet too pumped to sleep well. Still, up at 4:50am girding my loins with a tall mug of thick strong coffee. Here's my sleeping method and gear:

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Quite warm at 5:30am when Cye pulled up and we set out with headlamps up the Hoh river trail around 5:50am, surprising one elk herd. Arrived at the crossing to Mt. Tom creek just at dawn. Here are pics of the crossing and the view up Mt. Tom drainage that I took later that afternoon

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The crossing was straight-forward. Once on dry land we proceeded up the Mt. Tom drainage. As you might have seen from the above pic, the drainage is very very broad, in fact from its mouth you cannot readily view the ridges that mark the drainage. The mouth of Mt Tom creek forms something of a delta/island, with one minor stream to the east and the major stream to the west. We walked between the two through flat fairly open terrain, and some expansive gravel beds, and aimed for the east side of the creek. I was surprised at the size of the drainage, big enough to match the main Hoh course and other rain forest rivers. I could see why Mt Tom creek has been called the 'middle fork Hoh'. Here is looking north towards the Hoh

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Paused to watch and be watched by a 6+ point elk bull and his 3+ cows. This open terrain continued for a mile or so. After a large grassy maple flat things narrowed to force our path to the creek and we made our way upslope to look for remains of the old trail. We could follow it here and there:

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but for the most part this was typical Olympics brush-crashing. We went in a few miles and then focused on searching a particular slope for jet wreckage. The woods up there are magnificent. Monumental spruce and fir, mossy prestine rain forest terrain. Warm breezes drifted fern spores like smoke:

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Around noon, our turn-around time, we enjoyed a quick lunch at a perfect campsite on the banks of Mt Tom creek:

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On the way back dropped down to the creek to see the beginnings of the canyons that characterize some of the course of the creek. Notice how straight:

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Found a bloody fresh elk antler tine on the way out. Prize!

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Brown-head loonish birds at the return crossing. A pleasant sunny walk back on the gorgeous Hoh river trail, at the parking lot around 5pm. I raced back to Edmonds and just made the 8:25 ferry. Home drinking beer and watching a movie with the family by 9:15pm. An awesome day in a beautiful valley. The punishing drives were worth it but just this once.... next time I'll allow myself more time. Cye and I will be back in there, probably next year, but will set aside a few days to poke around more. We covered a lot of rough terrain in 11 hours with few pauses but the going is so slow you really want more time.

[Phil]

That's fascinating, Shack. That explains the breadth of that river mouth.... I really found it extraordinary. It defies the term 'creek' by a long shot. I don't think Cye has been up much past the middle of the creek drainage .... but what you mention sounds like a good target for a future hike. I've heard that actually getting up to Mt. Tom from the drainage can be a frustrating endeavor. We had some glimpses of the slopes of Mt Tom and it appeared to be a massive series of steep gullies. Funny because the climbers guide makes it sound like a casual stroll up to the top. Ever done that route or know of those who have?

[Phil]

[Phil]

Wow, I bet very very few people have been up to that lake and even fewer have ascended the cliffs at the headwaters of mt Tom creek. From what I've heard it's a lot easier to scale Olympus and head over to Mt Tom over the glaciers. If I ever find myself with a week or so I'll bug you about more route info for upper Mt Tom creek.

[Larry]

Good going, Phil! A nice report. Mount Tom, and the lakes north of the glacier, the locally named "Lakes of the Gods", are much easier via the White Glacier. On the west end of the Snow Dome, there is a steep gully leading down to the White Glacier - used a short rope for a handline, and left it there for coming back up. My partner and I took about half a dozen turns with the skis, but we couldn't ski the whole glacier due to whiteout conditions. Glad you finally got to get up your Mount Tom Creek!

[bobbi]

gnarly

[Phil]

Thanks! bcfc gnarly it was, but only because we elected to contour the slopes as part of our search. Much of the route along Mt Tom creek is on a flattish bench above the creek. Not bad at all. In fact Cye's 11 y.o. grandson went along with him this past Summer and got as far as we did! Larry when it comes to gear and experience I am entirely ropeless so unless the headwalls of Mt Tom creek can be scrambled to reach Lake of the Gods, that area will remain out of my reach.