The Big Quilicene Trail is in the Olympic range in the Buckhorn Wilderness area. We had done the Little Quilicene trail earlier but got turned back by snow and Byron jumping into the Quilicene river and almost freezing solid. The Little and Big Quilicene trails come together at the Big Quilicene River and wind through intensely green forest hosting all types of moss, ferns, and lichen. The trail crosses many step-across creeks and streams, climbing to 5400 feet of elavation.

We had expected all the snow to be gone by this late in the spring, but there it was, fairly deep in places along the trail. The climb to the timberline was the hardest part, the snow hard on top but not firm enough to hold your weight. Dorothy did the splits crossing a snow bridge when one leg broke through the ice and branches. and Byron had a rough time crossing a stream too, when the snow gave out underneath him and his back legs went down through a hole in the ice. I would like to try the same hike again when the snow is gone.

From US 101 a short distance south of Quilcene (coming from the south, it's after the highway leaves Hood Canal), turn right right (west) on paved Penny Creek road. Where pavement ends, turn left and head southward uphill on Big Quilcene River Road (FR #27), which eventually rounds a hill and starts back northward. At about 10 miles from the highway, turn left on road #2750 and follow it 5 miles until just before it turns back eastward; here is the Big Quilcene Trailhead. (This is not actually the beginning of the Big Quilcene Trail; the eastern end is much further downriver.)