Mazamas — For the Love of Mountains
Activity Notes
Buckhorn Mountain is nice double-summit peak within the Buckhorn Wilderness in the north east Olympics, just outside the Olympic national park. It is mostly trail and class 2 with just a bit of class 3 scrambling; very suitable for new BCEP grads or those liking a mellow climb in a beautiful area without a difficult approach.
We will drive up early Saturday and meet at noon at the trailhead. Hike into camp ( 4.5 miles, and 3000 feet gain on good trail). It should take 3-4 hours. Climb will be Sunday morning and should take about 4 hours with 1500 feet elevation gain and 3.5 miles round trip. After we return to camp around noon, pack up and hike out.
At 6988 feet, the west summit is the 23rd highest point in the Olympic Range. It is named after the appearance of its 2 summits which were once thought to look like deer horns, nearly equal in elevation and separated by a smooth saddle. The east peak, only 1200 feet away, is 32 feet lower. For some reason this area doesn't see the same amount of traffic as the northern half of the park but Buckhorn is one of the more accessible mountains in the general area.
After a scenic hike from Marmot Pass, the highest point on the west summit can be reached by boot path and a short scramble up onto a large boulder. The first good views come upon reaching Marmot Pass but improve at the summit. Some of the main peaks visible include Constance, Inner Constance, Deception, Martin, The Needles, Graywolf, Baker, Glacier, and Rainier. Many hikers who visit Buckhorn will want to visit both summits. The east summit is slightly more difficult to get to.
You can view photos from this climb done a few years back:
Check out this link to the full gallery: http://breivog.zenfolio.com/p1042065192
Or watch the slideshow: http://breivog.zenfolio.com/p1042065192/slideshow
