Colonel Bob Wilderness
To get there, follow the directions in the links below.
A great day hike or overnighter in the Olympics.
There are three ways to get to the summit of Col Bob:
-
The Fletcher Canyon Trail, distance unknown.
This trail is only maintained for the first couple of miles, where
it crosses the creek. Beyond that it's an un-maintained way trail.
This is the most difficult route and I suspect none will try it
this way. Bump to FIVE stars this way.
-
The Col Bob Trail, 7.2 miles to the summit. This
is a great rainforest trail that climbs through lush forest.
This way would be great for an overnighter or long day
hike.
-
The Pete's Creek Trail*, 4.2 miles from the
trailhead to the summit. This route is a great day hike or can
be a leisurely overnighter.
To reach the cache site,
hike one of the three trails to the coordinates above. The
cache is a small Lock-&-Lock container and has a few
goodies in it. Please be sure to re-hide it well. There is
also a summit register on the peak.
*Trailhead: 47° 27.440N
123° 43.886W. The Pete's Creek trail is a wonderful
rainforest hike in cool damp shade for almost the entire way.
Slightly overgrown, flowers and berries try to hide the trail from
view. When you reach the switchbacks on the exposed south facing
hillside, you're almost to the end. Just ahead is the Col Bob
trail, which hooks around to the right. Don't miss this
intersection on the way up or down. The Col Bob trail does some
more switchbacking until you round a corner and are greeted with a
fabulous view down Fletcher Canyon. Just ahead is Moonshine Flats
and the last running water stream you'll find along this trail.
Getting through Moonshine Flats can be troublesome as there are a
number of spur trails to various campsites in the area. There are
arrow signs posted to help you along. Cross the stream and you're
going the right way. Then you keep climbing up until you crest the
ridge and have your breath taken as the incredible vista welcomes
you. The cache and summit are just ahead. The end of the trail is a
short scramble up Col Bob’s bald head, an exposed rock with 360°
views. You will be able to see the entire Quinault Valley and all
the way to the Pacific Ocean.
HINT: Look for the cache on
your way down from the summit, it works better that way.
DO NOT forget to pick
up
Moonshine Madness by Ironman114 along the way!
