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Sundance Sanctuary
Olympic Mountains Buckhorn
Wilderness
~ Gray Wolf - Dungeness
Ridge Divide ~
June 1985
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Sardine Can Pot © Ken James McLeod
In the rain shadow of the Olympics are immense peaks, some the loftiest of the range rising above 7,000' elev.
During the night, we (Glen Lee and I) drove over to the Olympics in my old 1962 Ford 4x4 and proceeeded on our way up old logging roads to our destination: road #2825, thense to #2950 above Royal Creek, which is only traveled by use of a 4x4 vehicle. We parked at a hairpin turn and settled in for a quick nights sleep in the canopy.
At dawn, we shouldered our day packs, found a little way trail down to the creek, crossed it, and gained a rib or shoulder of the ridge divide to 5,000 feet. The way at times was steep and the Olympic jungle which is a constant even in the rain shadow portion of the mountains here, was unforgiving. At around 5,000' the route opened up and we entered the basalt rock country.....airy open barren country where even the heather has a problem grasping for a hold. We continued to traverse the divide along the crest between the two drainages of Royal Creek and the Dungeness passing a point of 6,250' elev. and then crossing through a pass (we named Delphi) at around 6,500 feet. We then climbed up around Petunia Peak (6,900') but did not summit it, though we reached a point of about 6,700' elev. The direct views here were fantastic of Royla Basin, Gray Wolf Ridge, Mount Walkinshaw, The Needles, and Mount Deception. To our backs (southeast) were great views of Sun-a-Go (Goat) Lake 5,950 feet, the Dungeness drainage and the steep open slopes of Buckhorn Mountain. We climbed around exploring the nooks and crannys of the basalt stopping many times to examine the strange formations of the rock.....rock that seemed like it should be on Mars or the Moon. Alas, we headed back from whence we'd came via the same route. And as evening appeared and the sun began to dance creating eerie shadows, we felt fulfilled having spent another glorious day in the wild, miles from the nearest human clamor.....
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photo of Ken J. by Glen Lee
for another Buckhorns photo see:
KJM
(McPilchuck)
all rights reserved