Mt. Steel
| August 2004: A visit to the top of Mt. Steel | ||
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I left the Staircase Trailhead at about 11am and begain the long trek up the Skokomish River toward First Divide - a low pass about 13 miles to the north. About halfway up the trail, I took a short break at Donohue Creek, which poured into the Skokomish. | |
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A little closer to First Divide, a patch of Fireweed provided ample work for hundreds of bees of all shapes, sizes and colors. Each bee would only work on a given flower for less than a second, before immediately moving to the next one. The bees certainly lived up to their "busy" reputation. | |
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The route up the mountain took me through a meadow that showed signs that Elk had recently visited. A little further along the trail, I could smell Elk, then finally, there they were... all huddled together, waiting-out the day. | |
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I arrived at the top around 8pm, just before the sun set. I laid-out my sleeping bag on a tiny flat ridge a few feet below the summit. Later, I was treated to a distant lightning display far out to sea. | |
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There was a summit register on top of the mountain. Only a handful of people had signed it since it was placed 2001. Not everyone who climbs a mountain signs the register, still I would estimate that Mt. Steel only gets a half-dozen visitors a year. | |
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As the sun rose, this small squirrel paid me a visit, right on the very summit of the mountain. | |
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Mt. Olympus is always an impressive sight... even on a somewhat hazy morning. | |
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This grouse bid me adieu as I descended the steep slopes. | |
| Where is it? | ||
| Mt. Steel is located in the southern part of the Olympic Mountains, just west of First Divide, near the headwaters of the Skokomish River. The nearest access point is the Staircase Trailhead, about 14 miles to the south. | ||
| Before you go... | ||
| Mt. Steel is in Olympic National Park,
meaning that you have to pay a small fee for entrance to the park and a
backcountry camping permit. This would probably be a more enjoyable climb as
part of a longer trip, but it can be done as an overnight (as I did). The east slope of Mt. Steel is steep, but navigable. It is mostly covered with small plants and packed scree. Going down is a little more difficult, as it's easy to lose your footing on the slippery plants. To head up the mountain, turn left where the trail takes a hard right turn, just below First Divide. Proceed down to the meadow at the base of the east slope. Proceed downstream (north) to the end of the meadow, and follow a well-worn elk trail up the slope. Then traverse all the way south (and up) to find a narrow opening in a band of trees. From there, the route should be fairly straightforward. I didn't traverse the west slope of the mountain, but it appeared to be quite navigable as well. Near the top, the west slope was mostly rock slabs. |
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