Mount Walker EXTREME Pedestrian route



 

With this hike I broke my all time annual elevation gain record by over 700 feet. Next up my annual mileage record. Only 33 miles to go.

 Call me crazy, but my plan is to hike up Gold Mountain tomorrow, for another 8 miles and 1,500 feet elevation gain. I better pack lots of tea! Well scratch that plan,  the Minard road access to Gold Mountain is now shut with a huge warning sign that says absolutely no trespassing.    I think the gate has been moved down the road too.   Have they expanded the Bremerton watershed?

  So we went with plan "B" and  drove to the Gold Creek trail head hoping to hike up the M6 troad but the M6 road at gold creek is being decommissioned.  BOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

 What a shame, the M6 was the only family friendly trail in the entire complex.  I pushed my youngest daughter down that trail in a jogging stroller many times.  But now they are destroying the road and charging people (Discover your anus pass)  to park at the trail head.  RIP Green / Gold Mountain.

This was a really fun trip, I will never drive to Mount Walker again!  It was so nice to let Mason and Jefferson transit do all the driving.  It only cost me $4.00 in bus fare but saved me $11 in gas plus wear and tear on my car.  One could not ask for a more scenic public bus route! 

Next week I will catch the buses again and check out the elbo creek trail.  Here is how the buses work.

Going to the trail
Leave Shelton Civic center on Mason county #8 at 8:05 AM $1.50
Transfer to Jefferson Transit #1 at Brinnon store at 9:20 AM $1.50 for an all day pass
Arrive 1/10th mile south of Mount Walker entrance at 9:30

Going home
Catch Jefferson transit #1 at Rocky Brook road at 2:55 PM use day pass
Get off at Halfway house and cross 101, wait at the Brinnon store
Catch Mason transit #8 to Shelton at 3:15 pm $1.50
Arrive Shelton Civic Center at 4:35 PM

Waiting for the Jefferson Transit bus back to Brinnon at Rocky Brook road

A video blog of how to ride the bus. I worked hard on the video and then my computer crashed so I had to redo it, but not quite as well.   Dr. Calabria is mentioned in this video. See the Peltigera! Watch the marauding camp robbers, search for Matsutake and ride 4 buses...

Jefferson Transit at the Dosewallips Pit stop

Jefferson and Mason Transit connect at the Brinnon store.  You must cross the street and
wait at the store for Mason transit when traveling north or south

The bus I rode from Shelton to Brinnon makes  very welcome pit stop at Dosewallips

Psychedelic seats on Jefferson transit bus to Mount Walker
at the Brinnon store headed North.

Picture from the bus, such a scenic bus route along the Hood Canal

 

Morning view of the Hood Canal from the bus



Jefferson Transit bus stop for Walker Mountain heading North

Homalothecium moss



How low can congress go?

Let's have shrimp Russula tonight for dinner

Track and elevation, I checked out the Elbo creek trailhead on the way home



Peltigera venosa really likes Mount Walker

Unknown fungi