Day Hike - Silver Creek Way Trail

We'll head up to Silver Lake ("Jewel of the Olympic Forest")and then continue past it to the ridge overlooking the Big Quilcene River valley. The Marmot Pass trail is -2200' directly below the ridge. The nearly 180* view from ~5800' is beautiful on a clear day. Across the valley is Gargoyle Ridge, and beyond that, Mt. Constance NE face. Sometimes you can see all the way north to Wanda Fuca, and beyond the strait, some local legends claim there's a civilized nation quite unlike our own. 

We're going up to the ridge even if it's socked in by clouds and sleet. Rain or shine, it's nearly always very windy. Be prepared for upward-blowing rain at the ridge top. No kilts. Rain pants are mandatory. If it's ugly up there, we'll retreat back to the lake for lunch. I hope it's nicer than that and we'll be able to pick a spot over by Silver Peak for lunch. 

If time and group enthusiasm allow, we'll also drop down to Lower Silver Lake. The trail is a steep 300' drop to the water followed by, naturally enough, a steep 300' climb back up. The lower "lake" is a lovely little puddle at the base of a talus slope, and this early in the season is probably among the few times you'll be able to see it without a cloud of blood-sucking bugs dogging you.

08:30 at the Silver Lakes Way Trail parking area, roughly 3/4 mile beyond the Tubal Cain/Gold Creek trailhead. No parking permit required. 

There are two ways to reach the trailhead: 

1. From Sequim, take Taylor Cutoff Rd -> Lost Mountain -> Slab Camp -> FS2870/Dungeness Rd -> SW on FS2880 to the trail head. This approach bypasses the nasty first half mile of FS2880.

2. From the south, heading N on 101, take Louella Rd to Palo Alto, turn left, and then follow the usual directions. (Sequim Bay SP, just north of Louella on 101, is a good carpool meeting spot & has a restroom.) There are signs to trails if they haven't been shot away. After you turn onto FS2880, the next half mile downhill is not suitable for low clearance vehicles. After that the road gets better, and the rest of the route is merely cratered like the Moon. Allow extra time to make your way back to the trailhead.