I don't usually write trip reports anymore, despite how much volunteer trail work I do and crews I lead on our beloved ONP and ONF trails. Today I am writing a trip report on Pyramid Peak trail mostly just to say I'm done maintaining this trail. It's gotten a LOT of work from crews I've led over the past 6 or 7 years (formerly with WTA and past couple of years with the Gray Wolf Trail Crew). We have repaired tread, brushed with power brushers, raked, widened tread, mitigated risk on the landslide many times over (which always slides again but that can't be helped), sawed out many dozens of downed trees - many of them very large and/or technical or had been problematic for years ...
Had we not done the work we've put into that trail over the past years, I hate to think of the condition it would have been in by now.
What's wrong is not the trail itself but the constant presence of dogs on this Olympic National Park trail. Literally every time I've hiked or worked on this trail, there have been dogs or multiple dogs - and every single one of them comes with an owner that thinks the rules don't apply to them. None of them turn around to take the dog back home after being informed that dogs are not allowed on ONP trails.
Today's *unleashed and untrained* young dog had an owner who was exceptionally arrogant and - apparently - above the rules ... and that was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. I realized every time we clear or repair this trail, we're just making the dog run more accessible.
At mile 2 there is a large tree down with a huge rip in the tread right before it from another tree going down and the entire gigantic rootball tore the tread out. The tree that's crossing the tread is quite difficult to get over. We analyzed the problem and discussed our plan for how we (Gray Wolf Trail Crew) would clear that tree when we came back in with a saw (today was a scouting hike). We also started to formulate a plan to repair the tread, but then the last-straw dog happened after that, and the brewing decision was made.
Despite all the work we've done to keep this trail in good condition over the years, that ends now. We have many other trails to work on that don't have rule-flouting dog owners. I wonder what kind of condition the dog run will be in after a few harsh NW winters and wind storms. Perhaps the dog owners will step up and help out on the trail they obviously think belongs to them.
Comments
shegoat on Pyramid Mountain / Pyramid Peak
Thanks for the hard work. I appreciate your time and energy spent on this amazing trail. I’ve only been there once and can appreciate how difficult it is to maintain.
I’m not sure who the dog owner was but I hope you don’t encounter the resistance, bad behavior or lack of responsibility again on a day of service. Well said. I hope this report makes a difference in a dog owners trail hiking etiquette. Know that you’re appreciated.
Posted by:
shegoat on Nov 28, 2024 06:13 PM
BeccaW on Pyramid Mountain / Pyramid Peak
Thank you! That was a very nice comment, and I appreciate you taking the time to write it. :-)
Posted by:
BeccaW on Nov 28, 2024 07:38 PM
scooblydoobly on Pyramid Mountain / Pyramid Peak
I've never ran into a dog during countless times hiking this trail over the past decade or so. It's fascinating how different people have different experiences.. It's sad that your personal experiences have been negative to the point that you're now choosing to contribute to a lack of access to what is a revered local gem. That said, it's a good thing that overall maintenance of the Pyramid Peak trail isn't your call and the final say is up to the National Park Service.
On several occasions I've ran into National Park/conservation corps trail crews working on the Pyramid trail. There's solace in the fact that crews other than yours will continue to put effort into maintaining this trail.
Posted by:
scooblydoobly on Nov 30, 2024 06:40 PM
BeccaW on Pyramid Mountain / Pyramid Peak
Nowhere in my trip report did I imply that the overall maintenance of this trail is up to me. I only stated that *I* will not work on it nor lead crews on it. I haven't seen any indication of the ONP working on it since about 10 years ago when they moved the slide trail down (and WTA put in the switchbacks leading back up), but it most certainly could possibly happen in the future and that would be wonderful if it did. It would be great if others take care of this trail. There is someone else besides us who has done some work over the years. It's my prerogative to choose to work on trails with fewer rule-breaking dog owners since, after all, all of my trail work is 100% volunteer.
Posted by:
BeccaW on Nov 30, 2024 07:46 PM
Sabbaru on Pyramid Mountain / Pyramid Peak
Thanks for your work. Very strange that scooblydoobly seems to equate your choosing how and where you will spend your effort amounts to "choosing to contribute to a lack of access."
So many entitled dog people out there on the trails, too!
Posted by:
Sabbaru on May 08, 2025 05:16 PM