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The Kitsap Mountaineers: Hikes
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Kitsap Mountaineers Hiking Information
Guests and Members: How to find scheduled activities and sign up online.
Look below on this page for the list of currently scheduled Kitsap Mountaineers hikes. Guests may register to attend up to two Kitsap Mountaineers hikes at no charge to introduce you to what we have to offer. Both guests and members may view the complete list of currently scheduled Kitsap Mountaineers activities by clicking on the following link. Those who have not completed Mountaineers scrambling, climbing, kayaking or snowshoe courses or equivalency may not register for those activities, for safety reasons. Guest and member online registration for our activities can be completed by following the instructions once you click on the Search Kitsap Mountaineers Activities link:
Search Kitsap Branch Activities
Chair: John Howard: howiejm@comcast.net or 360-698-3220
Hike Committee Meetings:
April 29, 2008, Tues. at 6:30 p.m., at McClouds Restaurant, 2901 Perry Avenue, Bremerton.
Scheduled Hikes (For Backpacking, go to Backpack)
May 10, Sat. Silver Lakes up Silver Creek from Tubal Cain Trailhead (M) (USGS or GT Tyler Peak; CC Buckhorn Wilderness) 7 mi, 2100 ft gain. Starting at the Tubal Cain trailhead (#840), head up Silver Creek ending at the two lakes, Silver Lakes, source of Silver Creek. Meet at 8 a.m. at Poulsbo Church of the Nazarene Al Manz, 360-782-4386 alanmanz@comcast.net (s5/1 -5/9)
May 10, Sat. Lower Big Quilcene Trail #833 (E/M) (USGS or GT Tyler Peak; CC Buckhorn Wilderness) 5.2 mi. RT., 500 ft gain. Child friendly! A gentle walk along the river and through second and old growth forest. Meet at 8 a.m. at Poulsbo Church of Nazarene. Annette Clement 360-649-4080 aclement25@yahoo.com. (s/5/1-5/9). OM 72; DHOP 20.
May 21, Wed. – Griff Creek Trail (M/S) (USGS Hurricane Hill, Mt Angeles, GT Joyce, GT Elwha North 134 S) Trail begins behind the Elwha Ranger Station, offering a round-trip hike of 5.6 miles and 2900 ft elevation gain. The trip out involves a steep climb, with more than 30 switchbacks, from the ranger station at 390 feet, to the end at 3,300 feet. There is no water available along the route. A short side trail leads left to a lookout hill, with views of the Elwha, the Highs Creek Valley, and Lake Mills. Crossing a ridge, the trail ends with a view of Griff Creek Valley, Unicorn Peak (to the left at 5,100 feet), and Griff Peak (5,120 feet). Meet at 8 a.m. at Poulsbo Church of the Nazarene. Dave Burdick, 360-779-9095, Davepoulsbo@aol.com (s/5/7 - 5/20) OM 47
May 24, Sat. – Wolf Creek Trail #75 (M) (GT Mt Olympus, GT Elwha North 134 S, USGS Hurricane Hill, Mt. Angeles, CC Elwha Valley) This trail is 8 miles long and climbs from 1200 feet at Whiskey Bend up to 5000 feet at the ridge. The intent of this hike is to travel only up to the snow line (best guess is around 2500 – 3000 foot level which would shorten the overall distance of the hike). The trail starts off gradually before switchbacks for climbing typically start at about 2.5 – 3 miles into the route). This trail was the old Hurricane Ridge road. Meet at 8 a.m. at Poulsbo Church of the Nazarene. Greg Thies, 206-842-6572 mtngreg@msn.com (s/5/12-5/23) OM 23
May 24, Sat. – Tunnel Creek to Valhalla Ridge #841 (S) (USGS Tyler Peak, CC Buckhorn Wilderness, GT Tyler Peak) 9 mi, 2450 ft gain. This is the longer but easier route to a great view of the cliffs of Mt. Constance. Continue up to the ridge above 5050 pass for an even better view. Meet at 8 a.m. at Poulsbo Church of the Nazarene. Jeanne Ohge, 360-598-4911 1jeanne@msn.com (s5/12-5/23) OM 76; DHOP 19
May 28, Wed. – Mt. Rose #814 (S) (GT Mt Steel, Mt Tebo, USGS Mt Steel, CC Mt Skokomish – Lake Cushman) Trail climbs 3500 ft in 2.9 miles (5.8 miles, r.t.) located in the Mt. Skokomish Wilderness. Peekaboo views of Lake Cushman, Prospect Ridge, Dow Mtn, and Lightning Pk. are seen on the ascent. At the top, if the ridge loop is opted, views of Mt. Ellinor, Mt. Washington, and Mt. Pershing may also be seen. This trail is extremely steep. Meet at 8 a.m. at Poulsbo Church of the Nazarene. Dave Burdick, 360-779-9095, Davepoulsbo@aol.com (s/5/14 -5/27) OM 108; DHOP 7
Conditioning Hiking
Apr. 20, Sun. - Clear Creek Trail (E/M) Up to 6 mi. RT with minimal gain. Discussion will include what to put in your pack and the 10 essentials. Meet at Silverdale Rotary Gateway Park (near Waaga Way interchange and Home Depot) at 10:00 a.m. Sign up online or with leader. Christine Grenier, 360-692-0291, highroadhiker@netzero.com.
To register for a hike
Registration & cancellation: All trip participants must sign-up in advance. Registration may be done online at www.mountaineers.org or by contacting the trip leader. Unless otherwise noted, trips are limited to 12 people, including the leader.
COURSES
Navigation: Classroom session will be held at the Kitsap Cabin on Tuesday, May 13 from 6:00-9:30 p.m. A field trip evaluation will be held all day on Saturday, May 17. Students will be emailed with the exact location and meeting time and place. Students are expected to read all of “Wilderness Navigation” by Bob Burns and Mike Burns prior to the classroom session and will be expected to discuss and utilize topics covered in the book at the classroom session and in the field trip evaluation. The book is available through Mountaineers Books. Registration is limited to 12 participants. Fee is $40. Due to the difficulty of obtaining 7.5 minute series maps in Kitsap county, the leader may purchase maps for the students for classroom use and students will reimburse the leader for the maps in addition to the course fee. Contact John Howard for more information at 360-698-3220 or howiejm@comcast.net.
Conditioning Series:The following is a list of the walks and hikes that have been part of the Conditioning Series previously. These are provided to give you an overview of what to expect in the conditioning series; actual conditioning series hikes may differ from this list.
Walks and Warm-ups
Thorndike (North Kitsap)
Pope Resources property (Port Gamble)
Lemolo Drive to Hwy 305 (Poulsbo)
Big Valley Road (Poulsbo)
Grand Forest/Gazzum Lake/Battlepoint Park (Bainbridge Island)
Hansville Greenway
Clear Creek Trail (Silverdale)
Illahee Preserve (Bremerton)
Kitsap Lake (Bremerton)
Guillemot Cove (Seabeck)
South Kitsap Community Park (Port Orchard)
Ford Warden & Fort Townsend State Park (Port Townsend)
Olympic Discovery Trail (Sequim to Port Angeles)
Easy max 1200 feet gain & 8 miles
Tunnel Creek to shelter
Elwha
Camp Handy
Staircase
Lower Big Quilcene
Intermediate max 1700 feet gain & 9 miles
Green Mountain via Gold Creek
Tubal Cain
Hurricane Ridge
Lower Lena Lake
Deer Park
Hurricane Hill
Spruce Railroad
Difficult max 3000 feet gain & 11 miles
Mt Walker; Mt Storm King; Green Mtn via Wildcat Lake;
Dungeness Spit; Mt Ellinor; Klahane Ridge;
Mt Townsend/Silver Lakes �
To sign up for the program or get more information, contact
Christine Grenier, highroadhiker@netzero.com; or Annette Clement,
aclement@rfmarch.com.
Carpooling, Cross Sound Transportation & The Meeting Places.
Northern Olympic Peninsula hikes initially meet at the
Park-n-Ride at the Poulsbo Church of the Nazarene, 22097 Viking Way NW,
Poulsbo, WA. It is on Viking Way, north of Hwy 305, adjacent to the
Washington State Patrol office (talk about secure parking!)
Southern Olympic Peninsula hikes meet at the Bremerton National Airport.
Port Townsend members anticipate meeting at Fat Smitty's in Discovery Bay.
Kitsap recommends taking the Kingston Ferry when coming from the mainland.
As a courtesy to those new to The Mountaineers we offer the following:
As a courtesy to those new to The Mountaineers we offer the following:
1. Trip leaders know the route and oversee the group. Leaders, in
conjunction with a MOFA leader when present, are also responsible for
managing the smooth exit of the group in the unlikely event of an
emergency.
2. Hikers are expected to behave in a safe and responsible manner and
be adequately prepared for the trip. Those who are not adequately
equipped for the trip may, at the leader's discretion, be sent home for
the sake of safety. So please, don't forget your 10 essentials.
3. Each guest hiker must have a signed waiver on file. Waivers may be filed electronically during online registration or filed by email to the hike leader before the trip.
4. Often, a post trip gathering will be planned at a convenient restaurant.
Trip classifications "Mountaineer hikes are classified in two ways, the
difficulty level of the trail, and sometimes the pace at which the
group will be traveling. (This may vary due to climb rate or trail
conditions.):
Difficulty levels are:
(W) Walks: Short distance, social paced, for everyone including
families with children and Mountaineers who have been slowed by time.
(E) Easy: Up to 8 miles R/T; up to 1200' elevation gain.
(M) Moderate: 6-12 miles; 1200'-2500' gain.
(S) Strenuous: 10-14 miles up to 3500' gain.
(VS) Very Strenuous: over 14 miles and/or more than 3500' gain.
Pace of the trip is defined as:
(1) Leisurely pace: The slowest pace trips.
(2) Social pace: Less than 2 miles per hour. Suitable for conversation and observation.
(3) Normal pace: Approximately 2 miles per hour.
(4) Fast pace: Greater than 2 miles per hour.
Book references for Kitsap hikes:
DHOP = "Day Hike! Olympic Peninsula", Seabury Blair Jr., Sasquatch Books.
OM = "Olympic Mountaineers Trail Guide", 3rd Edition, Robert Wood, Mountaineers.
Additional hikes will be listed on www.kitsapmountaineers.org
We often plan a post trip gathering at a convenient restaurant.
Mileage
For driver/passenger planning purposes, the one way distance from
Poulsbo Church of the Nazarene to:
Heart of the Hills Ranger Station, Heather Park, and Lake Angles
trailheads is 63 miles.
Hurricane Ridge Parking Lot is 75 miles.
Camp Handy Trailhead is 59 miles.
Tubal Cain Trailhead is 61 miles.
Silver Lakes Trailhead is 62 miles.
Hiker Responsibilities:
any person who participates in a hike with the
Kitsap Mountaineers is expected to assume and fulfill the following
responsibilities. Required equipment: 10 essentials, adequate clothing
and adequate foot wear. The hiker should:
1. Be adequately prepared for the hike. This includes having the above
required equipment that is appropriate for the weather and the location.
2. Be in physical condition adequate for the hike.
3. Be a responsible group member and abide by the decisions of the
leader or consensus of the group.
4. Be a responsible carpooler by being prepared to pay 5-8 cents per
mile to the driver.
5. Follow correct procedures for trip registration, canceling and
wait-listing.
6. Have a signed waiver before proceeding on a hike.
Book References:
OPDH = "Olympic Peninsula Day Hikes", Seabury Blair Jr. Sasquatch Books.
OM = "Olympic Mountaineers Trail Guide", 3rd Edition, Robert. Wood,
Mountaineers.
HONP = "Hiking Olympic National Park", Erik Molvar, Falcon Guide
Courses
Snowshoe Lite --> Advanced Snowshoe and Winter Camping
Course Lead Instructor: Steve Cain: (360) 598-6888 steve_cain1@hotmail.com
With snow already accumulating in the high country and the hiking schedule slowing down, it is time to turn
your attention to traveling in the snow. The Snowshoe Lite, Advanced Snowshoe and Winter Camping Courses are an excellent way
to maintain or improve your outdoor fitness while learning the best winter weather travel methods, winter safety,
and winter mountaineering skills. Go toSnowshoe
for details.
TheAdvanced Snowshoe and Winter Camping Courses offer detailed instruction in wilderness travel
techniques and alpine living for the Pacific Northwest winter environment. Topics of instruction beyond material
covered in Snowshoe Lite include: advanced snow travel to include self arrest using an ice axe, advanced snowpack
evaluation, avalanche awareness and rescue, navigation & route-finding, winter first-aid, winter camping skills,
building a snow cave, winter survival and miscellaneous winter hazards. Go to
Snowshoe for details.
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