| Mount Skokomish Wilderness is located in the southeast corner of Olympic National Forest, just north of Lake Cushman. Two long ridges here, running roughly northeast to southwest, support several bold rocky summits and numerous sharp spires. Elevations range from about 2,000 feet to 6,434 feet on Mount Skokomish, which anchors the northwest boundary. The northern ridge rises to Mounts Skokomish, Lincoln, and Cruiser, with ragged Sawtooth Ridge, popular for its excellent rock-climbing opportunities, stretching between Lincoln and Cruiser. The southern ridge includes the summits of Mounts Pershing, Washington, Rose, Ellinor, Jefferson Peak, and Tran Spire, all interesting and often challenging climbs. Between the ridges lies the headwaters basin of the Hamma Hamma River, which gathers its waters from Mildred Lakes and tributary streams in the western portion to flow east across the Wilderness. Magnificent old-growth western hemlock, western red cedar, and Douglas fir dominate the forest in the lower elevations, providing a shady home for elk, black-tailed deer, black bears, and mountain lions. Higher elevations display firs, pines, and dwarf juniper, and open rock faces alive with marmots and mountain goats (which look like pockets of old snow from a distance). |
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