GREAT VIEWS FROM BUCKHORN. Sun in all directions. Views on top to Vancouver Island, Mt Baker, Glacier Peak, Rainier, Adams, St Helens, water from Vancouver to Olympia. Alas, haze everywhere dimmed some of this magic to smudge. On a clear day I presume you would also see mountains north of Vancouver, and Mt. Hood, since that can be done from Mt. Townsend, which is lower and not far away. Oh, also fine local view north to Mt. Constance etc., and west to more. Looking west down into the adjoining Dungeness Valley -- it's big!
TIME I'd wondered if this hike might be too time consuming for a fall trip. It was not. At 72 and in no hurry, I reached Marmot Pass in 3:20 and the top in another hour or so, after a lunch stop. A father with 11 and 8 year old kids took only about an hour longer. (Dad lamented that they would not see the sunset from Buckhorn after all, and return to parking by headlamp!) The key is the smoothness of the trail up to Marmot Pass. Left time to enjoy the summit and amble a bit.
THE BIG Q. There are many beautiful points of contact with the Big Quilcene River in the first hour of the hike. The river there is steep like the trail, with plenty of water noise. It's more like a large and lovely creek than a river in this part, running over logs and rocks and small drops.
THE BUCKHORN SEGMENT. After you hit the intersection with Tubal Cain, you turn right and hike a little ways to the very clear path up to Buckhorn. A fallen tree for now stretches over Tubal Cain Trail at just this spot, a convenient marker. Don't be deceived by faint boot paths you might see earlier going up to the right from Tubal Cain. The Buckhorn trail segment is steep, with slidey stretches; I was happy with trekking poles.
NOT CROWDED. Lots of space in the parking lot on this Saturday when I started the hike at 8:45, and when I finished at 6:15. Met less than ten parties, pleasant chats with a few. Noticed from the Big Q trail 4 tents.
COUGAR? When I returned to the TH, I saw a postit note added which reported a cougar sighting from the trail about 1.5 miles from the TH. I was alone on the trail the last two or three miles down, and saw nothing.
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