I can claim a history with Gray Wolf Ridge. Twenty years ago, fresh on my moving to the Pacific Northwest, I set the goal of a full Gray Wolf run – three peaks to bag and a double-digit mile loop hike to complete – only to be ignominiously bogged down in thigh-deep June snow and chased off by a blizzard rolling off Mount Olympus.

Since that initial attempt, I have taken the ridge in bits and pieces. Last September marked my first time completing the route I had first imagined those long years ago.

Gray Wolf Ridge

Located between the Dungeness and Gray Wolf rivers, Gray Wolf Ridge runs at elevations between 6000-7200 feet. It's an isolated spot. To reach the trailhead, one approaches on an unmaintained forest service road that dead-ends at a berm. It's doubtful the Upper Maynard Burn Trail that takes off from there ever was intended for popular consumption, having been put in as a straight shot to fight the Maynard Burn Fire in the early 1900's. My son Nathan's comment as we made the unrelenting approach up seemed fitting: "Whoever put this trail in hates humanity."

Those humans who do gain the ridge, though, gain unobstructed views of Mount Olympus and the spires of the Needles. Backpackers can find overnight campsites on the ridge, and those of an adventurous nature can scramble or rappel off the ridge's east face, descending 3000 feet to the Royal Basin Trail. From this point, wanderers can choose to complete the loop or head even deeper into Olympic National Park.

Hiking Gray Wolf Ridge

Nathan wasn't out of diapers when I made my original grandiose assault through the snow, but at 21 years old, he's a strong hiker now, so I invited him along in case a strong back was needed to bear my aging carcass home. We met at the Edmonds ferry just after 6:30, grabbed breakfast in Kingston, and followed Forest Service Roads 2880 and 2870 south from Sequim Bay State Park as they wound along the ridges above the Dungeness River. Where the spur road came in from the west, a small sign pointing the way to the Upper Maynard Burn Trail surprised me – that was the first time I'd noticed an official acknowledgement that the backcountry path even existed.

Our plan for the day was simple – charge up the Maynard Burn Track until it disappeared in alpine meadows below the saddle between Tyler Peak to the east and Baldy to the west. From there, we would turn west, leaving the prospect of a day hike to Tyler behind and committing to Baldy (6797 ft.) as our first summit, to be followed by Gray Wolf's apex at 7,218 feet and Peak 7076 after that. Then we would either rappel or simply pick our way down the slopes descending between those latter two peaks, catch the Royal Basin Trail and follow that to the Lower Maynard Burn Trail, which, with any luck, would get us back to our car – around 15 miles more or less, with 7000 feet of elevation gain.

We started out in brilliant September sun, with the trail being just as I remembered it – straight up, sans switchbacks alongside a draw and then into the meadows underneath the dragon spine of rock outcroppings that runs off Tyler. From that point on, we would be off-trail, but route-finding wasn't an issue with Gray Wolf. The route stays above tree line and holds directly to the ridge's crest, over every conceivable bump, a fact that accounts for the ridiculous elevation gain.

Just before cresting Baldy, we entered the national park, and from that summit the truly wild part of the route revealed itself – the steep, barren climb to Gray Wolf's summit tower, hard walking on packed dirt and shattered shale to a dark outcropping already backlit by the sun. Farther to the south, the Needles, peaks that presented some of the hardest technical climbing in the range, rose before gathering clouds. With weather coming in, we paused just long enough for photos on top. We crossed the next saddle, exited the ridge for the first time in hours, and bypassed snowfields between Peak 7076's twin summits. We made our way through scree to tag our third top of the day.

We rappelled down through the trees before we detected a trunk notched with a blaze. We followed what turned out to be a line of blazes to a dugout, and below that, where the ground finally flattened, we stepped into a faerie garden straight out of Narnia, an open circle of boulders completely covered in moss, all faintly luminescent in the dying light.

From there, it just required a jaunt to the Royal Basin Trail and a dogleg north toward home. We came out in the dark, and as I unpacked under starlight, I asked what I had learned during my two decades experiencing Gray Wolf's variations. Well, I had learned to only approach late in the Northwest hiking season, since wading uphill through crotch-deep snow might make suitable training for Olympic athletes, but it's distinctly unpleasant for mortal men. I had learned that Tyler Peak and Baldy make challenging day trips and that enough snow stays on the ridge to provide water for an overnight high camp. I had learned that the long ridge run can be followed by a trip into the Royal Basin backcountry.

Most of all, each trip had taught me that I want to go back. Twenty years marks a large portion of my personal history, but Gray Wolf Ridge will stay young forever.

Need to Know

Information

This area is little traveled, and because routes could cross from national forest to national park and back again, getting a full picture of it (as well as figuring out which permits to buy) can be a challenge. Parking at either the Upper Maynard Burn or the Dungeness River/Royal Creek trailheads requires you have a USFS Northwest Forest Pass.

If you intend to set up a wilderness camp anywhere on the ridge from the summit of Baldy on, you should contact the NPS Wilderness Information Center in Port Angeles (360) 565-3100 to see if a permit is required. If you intend to camp at Royal Basin, reservations are necessary, so you want to book early. Remember too that, if you love hiking with man's best friend, Fido needs to sit and wait patiently below the summit of Baldy since dogs are verboten in the park.

Best Time to Go

Because Gray Wolf Ridge runs at elevations over 6000 feet and because the Olympic Mountains receive a great deal of snow, this is a trip best saved for later in the season. Although some snow remains on the ridge all year, August and September are generally rain, snow, and fog free, which makes for the best views and the easiest traveling.

Getting There

The forest service roads approaching this area come from the north side of Washington State's Olympic Peninsula. If you're starting from the Seattle metro area, one pleasant way to make the trip is to take the Edmonds ferry to Kingston and then take Highway 104 to Highway 101 north. Taking Highway 101 north from Olympia is less picturesque, but it gets you there just as well. The turnoff for the roads (FS 28--2880-2870) into the Dungeness River backcountry is directly across from Sequim Bay State Park, about five miles east of the town of Sequim and twenty-five miles east of Port Angeles.

Maps

Although I just use a map program now and print my own, Green Trails makes decent maps covering this area. If you can find a copy, the topographic map showing the full Buckhorn Wilderness area is handy since that shows both the national forest and national park sections of the route. National Geographic also offers their Olympic National Park Day Hikes Map as well as the Olympic National Park 216 Map.

Books

I first saw this route vaguely described in the "High Alpine Traverses" section of The Climbers' Guide to the Olympic Mountains, by Olympic Mountain Rescue and published by the Mountaineers. While this book does need updating, it gives great essential information about the Olympic peaks and the main approaches, and it gives just enough detail about this trip to get you on the ridge. The Falcon Guide Hiking Olympic National Park is also available.

About the Author

Doug Emory is an avid cross-country skier, hiker, and mountaineer who lives in Woodinville, Washington. He has completed the back-country ski circuit of Crater Lake, Oregon, about half a dozen times and has climbed 199 different peaks, including the Cascade volcanoes from Hood to Baker and the three Mexican volcanoes. In his off-hours, he works for the community and technical college system.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in Issue 10 of TrailGroove Magazine. You can read the original article here for additional photos and content.