106 The Mountaineer 
INTO THE OLYMPICS 
Our SEVENTH ANNUAL OUTING 
CHAS. ALBERTSON 
No official action in regard to a trip into the Olympic Mountains in 
1913 has been taken by the Board of Directors, yet the consensus of 
opinion of the individual directors is definitely in favor of it. 
Through the courtesy of the Forest Service officials, Mr. L. A. 
Nelson will be released from his duties in order to act as Chairman of 
the Outing Committee. He will lead the outing. 
The summer trip as tentatively planned, extends from the Straits 
of San Juan de Fuca on the north clear over the rugged Olympic Penin- 
sula to the Pacific Ocean on the south. 
Up the Puget Sound and halfway out the Straits by steamer we go 
to Port Angeles. Then eleven miles of motor road to the Elwha River 
where we are again at home on the timbered trail among the moun- 
tains. For several days we follow this winding and climbing trail up 
the Elwha Valley to the head waters and even on over the divide 
(Dodwell-Rixon Pass) into the sources of the Queets River on the 
Pacific watershed. This is the trail of “The Mountaineers” on their 
first annual outing in 1907. 
Main camp will probably be in the Queets Basin at about 5000 feet 
elevation, in full sight of Mt. Olympus, in a wonderfully beautiful nat- 
ural park with scattered trees, lakes, brooklets and flowers. It is 
flanked on either hand by precipitous rock cliffs and glacier covered 
mountains and affords a long vista down the forested Queets. At least 
ten days will be allotted for real life in this beauty spot. 
Mt. Olympus, 8250 feet, can be climbed in one day from main camp. 
The canyoned head waters of nearly all the important rivers of the 
Olympie peninsula, flowing in all directions from the mountain, are 
readily reached. From nearby peaks extensive yet companionable 
views are obtained without excessive work, while sheer canyons and 
ice-bound summits will test the ability of the most expert mountaineer. 
On the way out we will likely camp near the sisterly lakes, Mar- 
garet and Mary, nestling in the low divide. Thereafter the little- 
known route follows an ancient and well-worn elk trail down the North 
Fork of the Queniult River, then westerly up a branch stream to the 
top of the rolling Queets-Queniult divide. Here for a few days above 
the heavy timber line in a superb park country at an average elevation 
of 6000 feet we camp and tramp coastward until we drop down through 
the timber again to the Indians’ gem—Lake Queniult. 
