Tubal Cain Mine to Buckhorn Lake, Buckhorn Mountain & Marmot Pass — Friday, Aug. 25, 2023

Great 2 nighter at Marmot Pass! We got to the Upper Quilcene TH around 10:30am on Friday and were pleasantly surprised to snag a spot in the actual lot. Saw only a few groups (including a WTA work party, thank you!!!) on the way up. Stopped at Camp Mystery to fill up lots of water (last source), there were lots of open sites at Camp Mystery at this point. We made our way to Marmot and hiked up the ridge and landed a very dreamy site, it was here we decided to stay put for 2 nights and just do day hiking the following day. The last push from the junction to the top of Marmot is a short but steep little slog! We were up top here with only 2 other people Friday night.

The next morning it was a bit hazy but we did a quick walk down to Mystery to grab more water. After that we did Buckhorn Mountain, which was beautiful. Even with the haze the mountain views were quite beautiful. We made our way down the side trail that connects with Tubal Caine and took that down to Buckhorn Lake. Saw maybe 2 parties camped at Buckhorn. After lunch we marched back up to Marmot along Tubal Caine— it got HOT and no water sources between Marmot and Buckhorn so definitely be sure to pack enough because big chunks of it are exposed! We had a dog with us, who is sensitive to heat with a thick black coat, so we took our time coming back with lots of water breaks and shade rests. Got back to camp around 3pm and saw 4ish other parties up top! Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of crowds for an August weekend on the peninsula—can’t speak to what Mystery was like. Maybe smoke kept people away? There were quite a few dogs out and about! I couldn’t find a great place to dig a deep enough hole at Marmot so packed out my waste along with the 4lbs of poop our dog somehow created. Wildflowers were past prime, but still some dotting the meadows.