Buck Mountain in the Olympics by Mount Walker is among the few places accessible along Highway 101. The woodsy top may not boast expansive views like its taller neighbors. But solitude is what makes this trip worthwhile.
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Buck Mountain in the Olympics at a Glance
Access: Elbo Creek Trailhead
Round Trip: 10 miles
Elevation Range: 800′-3760′
Gear: microspikes, snowshoes
Route Info: Tanna & Woody
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Buck Mountain
Last weekend’s snowstorms kept us close to home. Today, the pups and I went up to the less-visited Buck Mountain in the eastern Olympic Mountains. Like Lighting Peak, the same friends recommended the place.
This mountain isn’t as notable or grand as its namesake in the distant Glacier Peak Wilderness. But the solitude it provides far exceeds other nearby destinations like Mount Walker.
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Elbo Creek Trail
The trailhead was a stone’s throw away from Walker Pass. Best of all, we arrived at the crack of dawn at an empty parking area. After some organizing, we started walking at sunrise.
The bulk of the altitude took place in the lower old-growth. By the time we reached the northeast ridge, we had gained 2000′ in just over two miles. The opening there gave the view out to Mount Walker.
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Buck Mountain Northeast Ridge
Later we left the trail as we rounded the ridge. Then I put on snowshoes in the hope of a smooth ridge traverse. Little did I know that the crest had undergone logging. So the dense new growth slowed down our progress.
The snow let us avoid the thicket in the forest. During which, we came upon an old road that’s since faded into the brush. We had no choice but to go over down trees through the crest’s east in some places.
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Road 2620-060
At last, we broke out of the trees at the 3500′ road bend. Then we went up to the radio huts at the roadway’s end. We went behind the buildings and crossed the open ridge with misty views on both sides. Then we dove right back into the trees.
Soon, we reached the woodsy Point 3777 by Road 2620-060. Then we hiked west toward the real summit at a mile away. From the east saddle, the main path went around the south. But we took the brushy spur road up to the top.
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Buck Mountain Summit
So far, our recent outings in the east Olympic Mountains haven’t yielded many summit views. With the elevation below the tree line, it wasn’t a surprise not to see much. But we enjoyed the sunshine in the clearing.
It was still cloudy on the south side. So I had thought about going out from the north. Then that way, we would make it a loop trip. But I was indecisive. So we went back down to the east saddle first.
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In Search of Views
The clearing on the saddle looked out to the north. But it was even cloudier now than earlier. By then, the spotty views to Buckhorn Wilderness had nearly faded. I decided to exit from the south so we could continue to savor the sun.
It is possible to drive up near the top via Road 2620 in the dry season. The quick ascent would, in turn, leave more time in the day to explore other nearby places. But we’d likely miss out on the solitude.
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Road 2620-030 (Jackson Creek Road)
From the saddle, we dropped south in the open forest. Soon, we reached Road 2620-030 at 3100′. I heard we could catch views from below Point 3777. So this road would put us at that spot near the gated roadway up to the huts.
Even before we reached the viewpoint, we had glimpses of the south Olympic Mountains. They included The Brothers, Mount Jupiter, Pluto Peak, to name a few. So glad we came out this way instead.
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Outro
We saw boot tracks by the viewpoint. Though, it was surprising not to see people up here scoping out the scenery. Mount Turner looked very close. So I thought we’d combine it with Green Hill as a drive-up trip later.
The walk down to the 2700′ junction was unexciting. I expected more folks would make their way up here, but there were none. Soon, we were back in the old-growth for the two-mile hike down to the car.
See more trip photos here.