[TR] Olympic Mountains - Cushman Six (FKT) 08/17/2024

[Mo 8501]

Trip: Olympic Mountains - Cushman Six (FKT)

Trip Date: 08/17/2024

Trip Report:

 

After being thwarted from our larger August objectives in the cascades by fires and lightning storms, I decided to return to ol’ reliable. Except for a budding fire just north of Lake Cushman (we got lucky with the wind), the Olympics had good air and good enough weather compared to the east. All we needed to do was a ridge link-up of 6 summits in the Mount Skokomish Wilderness area before the thunderstorms hit. This route involves 22 miles and 11k vertical gain (and loss).

 

While much of the route has some sort of trail to follow, I would put it closer to the category of alpine rather than hiking or trail running given the technical sections. This includes all types of mountain moving such as traversing rocky ridges, 3rd-4th class scrambling, and just enough bushwhacking to feel like an adventure. While I enjoy being able to go to the peninsula for the isolation you can’t find as easily in the cascades, I share this story to hopefully bring more love to the delightful and often maligned mountains of the Olympics. Also to entertain those who are unable to climb in the east due to the fires hitting the cascades. Cheers and enjoy our joyful suffering! 

I learned a few lessons from my solo run a year before. 1. Start later because route finding is easier and sleep is key 2. Bring crusher wife in order to run several hours faster. 

Note: A few pictures are from my first run. The only benefit of a 12:30am start is the stars and sunrise. 

 

Summit of Washington 

3:15AM - Heavily negotiated wake-up & drive to Big Creek - 5:21 AM start

Washington - 2:36 - Hard push up Mt Washington leading to a summit. It’s all up-hill trail moving for the first 7 miles. I was proud of my 3 hour push last time, but Monica showed me how it was done by running up sections I walked last time. Definitely high effort the whole way and my legs were getting a taste of the soreness to come. Monica began feeling sick here and was close to puking. Being one not to complain, she kept pushing despite this feeling persisting for the whole day. We took one of the spicier technical sections to get to the summit block for good measure. 

The road to Ellinor. Some day this whole route can be done on the high ridge connecting all peaks. I tried some of this ethic on my last attempt but it makes the route significantly harder. This time we were going for speed. 

The final section on the low traverse to Ellinor. 

Ellinor - 4:02 - Other than one accidental cliff-out section, we didn't have trouble finding the optimal route to Ellinor. Running on some sections of the heather and scree. Lots of snow in the Col below Ellinor but not worth stopping for water. At this point, We were an hour and a half faster than my last attempt so stoke was very high for the day. Dropped our packs to feel a little free on the last hundred feet.

Awesome

Some creative engineering to create bridges and hand lines to bear camp. 

Luxurious Rock House at Bear Camp. 

Rose - 5:47 - Before traversing to Rose, you descend a horrifying amount of the vert you've gained. You then cut off the main Ellinor trail and enter an old but well-maintained side trail to one of the coolest camps we've ever found. It's the type of place one goes to retire and live in relative isolation. Monica got her first of 5 bee stings during this section. The uphill section of Rose did a number on us as we began overheating (down-side of a late start). Luckily we stopped at a much appreciated stream and took a 5-minute break while dunking our heads in the water. Here we each filled up with 2.5 more liters of water. Eating lots of huckleberries while moving. The sweet sugar bomb aid stations almost made me classify this as supported by nature.

Some of the easier sections

The amazing view of easy scrambling after an hour of bushwhacking. 

Copper 1 & 2 - 8:20 & 8:36 - Compared to some of our earlier trips to the cascades this year, the bushwhacking felt easy enough for this section. However, my MCL began having a sharp pain so we slowed down to avoid what felt like a potential tear if I took the wrong step. Here I made the decision of slowing down significantly which added a good amount of time overall. A rescue would have been treacherous in our position and I’m getting to the age of starting to value my long-term health over silly things like FKTs. Luckily it went away after a few hours of cautious moving. As is often the case, my body began feeling much better when my hands began relieving my legs of some of the effort. 

Looking back at the progress: Washington, Ellinor, and Copper 1. 

We were 10 feet below the summit on Copper 1 and didn't do the easy scramble because there were hundreds of bees swarming the summit. Literally a swarm amassing several meters surrounding the summit. After 3 bee stings for Monica by this point and a yellow-jacket allergy for me, we decided to skirt around to avoid potential death. If anyone wants to contest the route for this reason, so be it, but you must send the message from Copper summit. We maintained the ridge rather than dropping down to access Copper 2 which presented some fun 4th class climbing.

The line down to Cub. 

Cub - 10:20 - The talus fields below Copper are incredible with some of the most unique rocks on the peninsula. Would love to know how those pinks, blues, and purples are made. The pictures don't do it justice, so you must go see them yourselves. We made better route finding choices than I did last time by avoiding several cliff-out sections, but we still hit our crux of the route leading down to Wagon wheel lake. We mistakenly took the devil's club route to start, then BEES!, then took a few good slips & slides once we got to the steep old growth. Finally, we crashed down onto the trail with a few new cuts and bruises. 

The last few hundred feet of elevation gain to get to Cub peak may have cooked us but it didn't break the stoke. Weirdly there were hundreds if not thousands of biting flies on the summit of Cub. I didn't have time to think if this was some type of weird mating ritual where insects congregate on summits as I suffered through the black mist to briefly stand on the high point. The ridge is always longer than I remember to traverse but at least you have constant views of the rugged sawtooth ridge to your west. The serrated ridge reminded me that the soreness in my body doesn't compare to the physical and emotional pain Emilio and I experienced when we attempted to sharpen the saw…

Could some mountain goat attach the Cushman Six to Sawtooth Ridge?? I dare not name this line but one wonders if it's even possible. Maybe in my next life. 

Staircase TH - 11:32:42 - I could hardly call this section running, but we somehow hobbled down the trail compelled by downward momentum and thoughts of food. Thinking about how to satiate a deep hunger after burning 5k calories, only eating 400-600 throughout the day, and also feeling sick. Here we were lucky enough to find some Reishi on the trail we brought home for tea to heal our bodies. The quads took their final beating and we arrived back at the trailhead to our second car we parked in the morning. We remarked on the brutality of having to run through that dusty shoulder-less road to get to big creek; later to find out the FA party did this. I respect this type of masochism, but thank you FA Party for not choosing that kind of suffering for the rest of us.

Link to FKT: https://fastestknowntime.com/route/cushman-six-peaks-wa

Gear Notes:
3.5L & 2.5L of water to start (would have suffered immensely without the water we found below Rose), shorts, t-shirt, trail runners, 8L running vest, 4 bars, 2 PB&J BoBos, half a cookie, 2 handfulls of dehydrated fruit, huckleberries, electrolyte pills, and Stoke.

Approach Notes:
Easy 1hr drive from home. Then Run.

IMG_1121.HEIC IMG_7121.HEIC IMG_7132.HEIC IMG_1123.HEIC IMG_1125.HEIC IMG_5056.HEIC IMG_1130.HEIC IMG_1131 (1).HEIC IMG_1132.HEIC IMG_5074.HEIC IMG_5080.HEIC IMG_5049.HEIC Copy of IMG_5024 (1).HEIC Copy of IMG_5024 (1).HEIC

Edited August 20 by Mo 8501
Pictures

[emilio taiveaho pelaez]

The Molines strike again with another FKT! Damn y'all are really cookin' out there. Props to Monica for being able to get your ass in gear, what an absolute crusher. Awesome TR and even more awesome effort, big congrats to the both of you. That photo of Sawtooth sure got me fired up!!

[olyclimber]

Yeah forum software still doesn’t know what with heics. Get on the ball invision!!

[Mo 8501]

I may have struggled for longer than I’d like to admit with the pictures. 

Emilio there’s just something about ridge running! We’re out here doing our best to train for the Linville crusher! 

[Drederek]

Sounds like quite the undertaking, well done!  I scouted the connection from Cub to the sawtooths last year, picking up 25 bee stings on my way back to Mildred TH.  There is a trail of sorts atop the long curving ridge that connects Lincoln with the trail before the final descent to Mildred lakes.  It appeared from Cub peak you could bushwhack straight down  thru somewhat open country and get back up to the ridge.  I have no idea what the creek looked like down there but it didn't sound too large early in September.  Maybe Rose, Bear Camp, Copper, Cub and Lincoln for starters?

Edited August 30 by Drederek

[Mo 8501]

On 8/29/2024 at 11:20 PM, Drederek said:

Sounds like quite the undertaking, well done!  I scouted the connection from Cub to the sawtooths last year, picking up 25 bee stings on my way back to Mildred TH.  There is a trail of sorts atop the long curving ridge that connects Lincoln with the trail before the final descent to Mildred lakes.  It appeared from Cub peak you could bushwhack straight down  thru somewhat open country and get back up to the ridge.  I have no idea what the creek looked like down there but it didn't sound too large early in September.  Maybe Rose, Bear Camp, Copper, Cub and Lincoln for starters?

25 bees.. gnarly! Water is a crux of this route, so I could see that being a plus having some options for that unknown section. That ridge near Mildred is very pleasant when you’re on it, I’ll have to scope it out next time! Appreciate the beta that it could go, cause it looked far and thick from my vantage point. 

So much incredible terrain to explore back there! Yes, some of the bushwhacking is heinous but there are some real pleasant sections too, especially on the ridges. 

see you out there! 🤙

[OlympicMtnBoy]

What fun!  I love the Olympics for this sort of thing (although I move much slower and shorter distances with a two year old now).