SKYLINE TRAIL Skyline Way trail, not maintained Length 20.5 mi/33.0 km Access Big Creek Trail; North Fork Quinault Trail USGS Maps Bunch Lake; Mount Christie, Kimta Peak Agency Olympic National Park Originally called the Knife Edge Trail, then the Queets Skyline Trail, this route was constructed in segments until it followed the full length of the Queets-Quinault Divide. The first section, built in 1913, began approximately where the North Shore Road crossed into Jefferson County. This trail extended to Finley Peak and Three Lakes. As an accommodation to The Mountaineers, the Forest Service built a trail in 1920 from the North Fork Quinault up Promise Creek and down the divide to Three Lakes, thus extending the Skyline Trail. The last stretch, from the head of Promise Creek to Low Divide, via Lake Beauty and Seattle Creek Basin, was constructed later. Although the path is in fairly good condition as far north as Kimta Peak and again near the end as it approaches Low Divide, the midsection, both before and after Lake Beauty, may present route-finding difficulties due to the multitude of game trails that lead off in various directions, tending to mislead hikers. As a consequence, the National Park Service has abandoned the entire Skyline Trail, and it is now considered by that agency to be a route only. No one except hikers skilled in cross-country travel should attempt the route. Hikers planning to walk the Skyline Trail from south to north and return to the North Shore Road via the North Fork Quinault Trail should keep in mind that the river crossing at Sixteen Mile Camp on the North Fork may be impassable, depending upon the weather at the time, therefore they should not rely upon using the North Fork Quinault Trail as an escape exit. If upon reaching the crossing at Sixteen Mile Camp the party is unable to cross the river. They will be forced to return the way they came or exit via the Elwha Trail. Each of these escape exits would increase by more than 20 miles the trip's total mileage. This is a highly scenic but strenuous route. Between Three Lakes and Kimta Peak, the trail shifts back and forth, first on one side of the divide, then the other, occasionally following the ridge top but usually contouring just below. Beyond Kimta Creek the ridge is higher, with wide expanses of country above timberline. This primitive region is as wild and beautiful as any part of the Olympics. Because the winter snowfall is heavy, the route is usually blocked until late summer. The trail is a regular pathway for wildlife. Every hiker will see the tracks of elk, deer, bear, and wildcat; more fortunate ones may glimpse the animals themselves on occasion. Elk congregate in the high meadows in late summer; bears roam the slopes when the huckleberries ripen. Beginning at Three Lakes (3200 ft/975 m) on the Big Creek Trail, the route crosses a meadow, then traverses northward, alternating between forest-rimmed meadows and stands of large silver fir, western and mountain hemlock, and Alaska cedar. After descending to a little meadow and pond, the trail climbs to a saddle, where Reflection Lake can be glimpsed through the forest. The lake is located in a marshy area to the right of the trail, where wildflowers are abundant. They include the avalanche lily, Jeffrey's shooting star, elephant's head, and western anemone. The trail now climbs through meadows at the head of Elip Creek, where masses of red mountain-heather carpet the hillsides. When the plants are in blossom, bees work industriously to extract the nectar. This is wild, lonely country, with splendid views up the Quinault to snow-capped Mount Seattle and Mount Christie. The trail goes by Oval Lake (2.0 mi/3.2 km; 3850 ft/1173 m), which forms an almost perfect oval, and then another lake of about the same size but irregular in form. Beyond these lakes the landscape is dotted with tiny, scenic tarns that mirror the country. Heather, buttercups, and violets border the clear, sparkling brooks, which meander from pool to pool. After climbing over a low ridge, the trail descends to a junction with the Elip Creek Trail (2.9 mi/4.7 km; 3800 ft/1158 m), and then contours to a point that overlooks the lush, green meadows of Three Prime Basin. On the far side, Three Prune Camp (4.3 mi/6.9 km; 3600 ft/1097 m) is located in a clump of trees. Between this camp and Kimta Peak, water may not be available after mid-August, but one need only descend a bit into one of the basins to find it. Beyond Three Prune Basin the trail climbs through dense forest, then rounds a spur and crosses the meadows in Scalding Creek Basin, where the black mountain huckleberry grows profusely. The large berries are sweeter than the fruit of the tall blue huckleberry, consequently, when they ripen in late August; the hiker is not inclined to travel rapidly at this point. The route stays just below the divide, crisscrossing from one side to the other, and the slopes overlooking the Queets are precipitous, falling abruptly to Alta Creek. The trail then traverses above South Kimta Basin. Whenever the trail follows the ridge top, the hiker can look both ways through trees bearded with lichen-toward the Queets or the Quinault, as choice dictates. The country gradually becomes more subalpine in character, and the trail traverses broad meadows that overlook the timbered valleys of Alta Creek and the Queets, as well as a spur of the Mount Olympus Range. At the head of North Kimta Basin, the path curves around meadowland that is often a tangle of elk- tracked snowfields. The route is marked by blazes and orange-colored markers tacked to the trees. The trail keeps high, just beneath the ridge, and hikers should be alert so as not to be misled by game trails. The path can be lost easily near Kimta Peak, where the sharp ridges and spurs are confusing. The trail then skirts just below Kimta Peak (9.3 mi/15.0 km). On clear days the scramble to the summit (5399 ft/1646 m) is worthwhile because a glorious panorama is revealed. Far below, the Queets River meanders through virgin rain forests, and the ridges are clothed with thick stands of hemlock. Mount Olympus, only 7 miles distant, dominates the northern scene, its southern face streaked with snowfields and glaciers. Not only is the whole sweep of the Mount Olympus Range visible but also the deep, U-shaped Queets Valley, bordered by timbered ridges that extend to the horizon. Queets Basin lies to the northeast, with the Bailey Range peaks beyond. To the south and east many mountains are visible in the distance. The region beyond Kimta Creek is one of the wildest parts of the Olympics accessible by trail. This is a country of wide horizons, of far-flung vistas to distant peaks, of quiet solitude, where one can hear the sounds of nature-the piercing whistles of marmots; the deep purring of the creeks below; the wind sighing in the subalpine firs on the ridges, and the bugling of elk in cul-de-sacs unvisited by man. Beneath Kimta Peak the trail traverses eastward through heather meadows at about the 5000-ft/1524-m level. The view looks down Kimta Creek to cragged peaks on the skyline. As it descends, the route re-enters the forest, and the path crosses many little streams. The trail is in poor condition here because the soil tends to be soft and boggy. After losing considerable elevation, the trail climbs again, via steep switchbacks, and breaks over the divide at Promise Creek Pass (11.0 mil 17.7 km; 4980 ft/ 1518 m). The view is stunning: a large snow bowl occupies the foreground, bordered by Mount Zindorf on its eastern flank. Other peaks-Seattle, Christie, Noyes, and Meany-are visible in the distance, but Low Divide is hidden behind a spur. (The Promise Creek section of the old Queers Skyline Trail led down from this point to Cold Springs Camp, and then descended through the damp and gloomy canyon to the North Fork Quinault.) The trail now becomes more a way than a well-beaten path. Marked by cairns, the route goes left over fields of snow and heather near the basins western rim. Rock outcrops are everywhere, the strata turned on end or at high angles, and stunted mountain hemlocks sprawl along the ridge. The views are unobstructed: rugged, snowy peaks in every direction, including Mount Olympus and the peaks surrounding Elwha Basin. One also has a good panorama of the eastern Olympics. The sunrises and sunsets are spectacular viewed from High Camp (11.5 mi/ 18.5 km; 5300 fi/1615 m), which is located above the trail and just below the ridge. This is an excellent vantage point (especially at night when the moon is full) to watch the fog rise up from the Queets Valley, roll over Kimta Peak, and settle into North Kimta Basin. Also visible from here, directly in front of Mount Olympus, is the Queets Burn-an area north of the Queets, opposite Hee Haw Creek, that was devastated by fire in 1962. Beyond this camp the route descends to avoid a buttress. The trail is virtually nonexistent, but Cairns marks the way-mostly over snowfields, heather covered slopes, and glacier-polished rocks-. After crossing a narrow ravine, the route climbs toward the divide, descends again in order to round a spur, climbs up and contours cliffs, only to descend a third time. Here it comes out onto meadows dotted with mountain hemlock, crosses three ravines, and climbs to Hee Haw Pass (12.5 mi/20.1 km; 4500 ft/ 1372 m), where one has a good view of Mount Tom. The trail crosses the grass-covered saddle to the west side, where the poorly marked path may be confused with a multitude of game trails, but the route climbs through forest and meadow and goes beneath a big slide. Aptly named Lake Beauty (13.5 mi/21.7 km; 4700 ft/1433 m) lies cupped in a deep pocket, and chunks of ice often float in its waters until late summer. A campsite is located near the lake's western end. Mount Noyes and Mount Meany rise to the northeast, beyond the upper basin of Saghalie Creek; Mount Olympus and Mount Tom stand to the northwest. The stillness is unbroken save for the croaking of ravens and the murmur of the wind. The sunsets here arc colorful-particularly in midsummer, when the sun disappears behind the jagged silhouette of the Valhallas in the Mount Olympus Range. East of the lake the route crosses Beauty Pass (14.0 mi/22.5 km; 5000 ft/1524 m), where the remarkable view includes the entire width of the national park. One looks westward through a gap in the Mount Olympus Range to the distant Pacific; on the eastern horizon the Sawtooth Range marks the park boundary. Beyond the pass the trail goes beneath rock cliffs studded with penstemons, then contours toward Mount Noyes through meadows and subalpine forest. Mount Zindorf, a broad peak with many snowfields and crags, stands across the valley of Promise Creek. After rounding a bend, the path overlooks Seattle Creek Basin. At its head, Mount Seattle rises above a wide meadow. Mount Christie and Mount Noyes are also in full view, and the tip of Mount Meany shows through a gap. The trail traverses meadows, switchbacks down through the trees, and crosses two little gorges before it enters Seattle Creek Basin. Here the route contours beneath Mount Noyes and Mount Seattle. Elk and bear roam this country, where gentle breezes riffle the avalanche lilies and beargrass plumes, and the only sound one hears is the chatter of Seattle Creek (16.5 mi/26.6 km; 4200 ft/1280 m). After contouring the rolling, rock- strewn meadows on the southwest side of Mount Seattle, the trail goes around the south buttress and descends into stands of mountain hemlock. On hot afternoons walking from the sun-drenched meadows into the shaded coolness of the forest is almost like entering an air-conditioned home in the desert. The trail loses elevation rapidly in the forest, ending at an intersection with the North Fork Quinault Trail (20.5 mi/33.0 km; 3550 ft/1082 m) just south of Low Divide.