First, a quote from the Field Guide: "A scant trail seems to lead to it [Wauna Point] from from your location [Wauna Viewpoint]. Don't be tempted to try this. The point is much further uphill than it appears, and the trail fades almost immediately - becoming a difficult and dangerous bushwack". Other dire warning are sprinked around the www (that's the world wide web, not wauna wauna wauna). So of course I had to do it. I'll tell you what, if you like bushwhacks, you should take a shot at this. It was the bushwhackiest bushwhack I've ever bushwhacked (not the densest, but taking into account how steep and sustained it is).
THE ORIGINAL PLAN
Weather was poor (intermittent showers) and I had already ticked a couple hikes off my list, so I was just looking for some quick easy exploring west of Eagle Creek. First, I wanted to follow the historic portage road from the top of the Eagle Creek stairs. That was disappointing. I've read it used to be a little hard to follow, just enough to make it interesting. Nope, from the HCRH at the top of the Eagle Creek stairs it's maintained. Just looked like any other trail. Around the high point I lost interest and took the connector that goes up to 400 trail. Joined it at the hairpin turn on a road, and wasn't entirely sure where 400 went to the west. Maybe it's the road? Wasn't sure which way I wanted. I eventually came to realize that the southern road is 400, and the northern road is the deadend trail I see on Google, extending almost to Tanner Creek, between 400 and HCRH.
I headed east on 400 and then up the Wauna VP trail, where I encountered a maze of trails at a rockslide. Amazing how neatly the slide poured across the trail, leaving tidy piles. It's been long enough now that some of the alternate routes people picked now have the look of sanctioned trails (while others have the distinct look of social trails).
A few minutes later I reached the last switchback before the VP, and looked for signs of some trail-like feature I noticed on Google. Figured it was probably a powerline service road, but there was nothing there, so I continued. Approaching the VP it was easy to see there used to a service road parallel to the trail, but it's abandoned now, there's no way a utility truck could get through this brush. Crossed over the source of the rockslide that took out the trail (I think) and then reached the VP.
THIS IS WHERE IT GETS UGLY
Nice break in the weather, and after a long rest at Wauna Viewpoint I decided to check out the start of the route to Wauna Point, setting off at 2:30. I didn't have the sense to stop when it got brushy. After shwaking for a while I remembered I had tape, so started flagging my route. Normally I'd keep time notes, partly to ensure a descent before dark, and also as a reminder of the interesting points. But I lost my pencil over around Wauneeka Gap, or possibly at McCord Falls. I could have taken pics, which would serve as route reminders and also provide time stamps, but it rained most of the time I was ascending, and I didn't really want to mess with getting my phone out for soggy pics. So I just relied on my memory. Mostly it was brush, brush, and more brush, but there were some fun ridgecrest sections, and quite a few interesting route challenges. Had to climb a dirt/brush filled gully framed by rock. Imagine if the Munra chimney was bigger, and filled with vegetation down the center. (I've seen older pics where it's a bit more open, but now it's so brushy you can barely see the rock to the sides.) This gully was a hassle, but an interesting feature, and turned out to be an important waypoint. Then I veered left to follow a well-defined woodsy ridgecrest that seemed totally out of character for this hike, but it didn't last long. I think that was where I found a partial treking pole, and then another a few minutes later, which I took as reassurance I was on-route. (Also told me somebody was breaking treking poles left and right, which didn't give me a warm fuzzy.) Then I scrambled up to a viewpoint, hoping it was the diving board, but no, not quite there. That viewpoint was one of the few dry moments, so I snapped a pic. Later, found a pic of our member Peder standing at that spot, taken by Guy. I dubbed this the lower diving board, the zone below it "the shallow end", and the zone between it and the diving board I'm calling the deep end (ironic, because as you'll find later, it was in the shallow end where I got in over my head).
Much brush and routefinding ensued, quite steep in spots, and finally I was at the diving board at 5:20. Followed the trail, now very clear above the diving board, just a few minutes south. It took me 3 hours to ascend, what, about a thousand feet I guess. Damn. On a well designed/maintained trail it would be well under an hour. The race was on: the sun was going down, and so was I. I had to be below Wauna VP before the sun dipped below the horizon.
THE FIRST DESCENT
Started off well enough. Struggled to find the route in places, but no big deal. Cleaned up my tape along the way. At my lowest flag, I couldn't find the trail. Several possibilities presented themselves, but nothing panned out. Finally, I concluded that I couldn't waste any more time looking for the trail. One option was to go all the way up to Tanner and take the trail back. That was the safest route, but it wouldn't guarantee I'd be out by dark. I risked a bushwhack towards Wauna VP. Hit a ridgecrest and followed it down a bit, but got nervous. The sides were steep, and if it came to an abrupt end, dropping off steeply, I'd have to climb back up to where I could safely get off the ridge. In retrospect, maybe I should have taken that risk, because it might have given me a nice view of Wauna VP and an opportunity to plan a route. Instead, I went back up to where I could get off the ridge, and continued down through the brush. It was tough going, but I didn't have time to be dainty about it, so just forced my way through, looking for open spots as much as possible. I knew eventually I'd hit power lines, but I also knew it might be way down in a canyon, and if it was to the east of Wauna VP, I was't even sure there was a road, like there was to the west. I was making pretty good time, but I was nervous about all the things that could go wrong. I encountered a little mossy rockslide area and followed it down, and towards the bottom I saw powerlines! I mean real close, not off in the distance. Yipee! Then it got even better: a trail! I landed right at the last switchback below Wauna VP! Had I been just a few feet to the west, I would have missed the trail. Sure, I would have hit the road soon, but it's amazing I had the luck to just barely hit the trail at the perfect spot.
Being compulsive and neurotic, I knew I had to go see where/how I lost the trail on my descent. I didn't do it at that time because it was just too late. For my hike back to my car, I took the 400 suspension bridge over Eagle Creek, which was a first for me. Somewhere along the way, when I stopped for a break, I whined about my little butt pack being so stuffed, and realized why: I had 70' of webbing with me! Which almost certainly would have been beneficial to help me descend that route quickly/safely, most notably off the ridgecrest that I decided not to follow. Damn.
THE RETURN
I went back a week later to figure out how I got lost, and to try a more direct ascent, as close to the ridgecrest as possible. Also wanted to follow the trail from the diving board to Tanner. And I want to look for the ridge to the west that I've heard offers a pleasant alternative route to Wauna.
EVERYTHING STARTED OUT FINE
Started out at 4:15, arrived at Wauna Viewpoint at 5:00. Dawdled, stashed some gear and repacked, enjoyed the view. Got impatient and decided not to wait a few more minutes for the sunrise, partly because Ruckel Ridge looms to the east, so I thought sunrise might be delayed. Trying to stay closer to the ridgecrest didn't make a difference. I guess my first ascent was about as direct as I was going to get. Found quite a bit of my flagging, which either means I missed some on the way down, or there was still some left below where I got lost, or maybe both. Added 4 more flags (new color) to aid my descent, because I started realizing how tricky this place is, even though I had already been up this route. Hit the diving board just 350cm from the tip at 8:40, and continued up the trail to Tanner. It was fun at first, following the spiny steep ridge, but soon it became just a steep trail through the forest. I considered turning back early, but it started to level off, so I persisted to the junction, where I saw...
FANCY MEETING YOU HERE
...a dog, followed by a young couple. We talked about trails and options. He asked how far to Wauna Point, I checked time, said 30 minutes, he was into it, she said "I'm hungry", and that was the end of that. We went our separate ways. I was surprised to see people up this high at nine-something on a day trip, especially considering they were obviously pretty casual. And what are the odds that I'd run into somebody at a turnaround junction where I wasn't planning to linger?
THE SECOND DESCENT
Well, I got off route again, even with the new flagging I placed. That either means I'm a super awful hiker, or this place is challenging. I made it through the deep end, to the lower diving board, down the gully, and then...hmmm...damn if I didn't end up shwacking my way down again! Much less worrisome though. Plenty of time, good weather, well supplied, better knowledge of terrain. Cleaned up my tape on the way, but ended up with only two of my four from the second ascent, so there's still some of mine up there (I'm not going back for it!)
AND YET, STRANGELY, I NEVER FOUND THAT RIDGE I WANTED TO EXPLORE
I mentioned that on my first descent I was tempted by a ridge I wanted to follow, but didn't want to risk getting stuck at the end and having to turn back. Didn't find it on my second trip. Here's what troubled me: on my first descent, I knew I needed to stay left/west, close to the crest. It was clearer, and matched my ascent. I also knew that when it wasn't reasonable to follow the crest, it was better to dip east rather than west. So how is it that I bottomed out to the west of Wauna Viewpoint? [don't worry if this is confusing; there's a diagram below]. Well, I think what happened is that below the lower diving board (or Peder Point if you prefer) the ridge becomes very broad and indistinct. Maybe I veered left/west so far that I ended up to the east of an extraneous spur ridge. Staying right/east of that ridge would put me left/west of the correct ridge, thus dumping me down onto the powerline road. This theory is consistent with my observation from the lower diving board that there's a rocky knob to the left/west, and I had considered going over to check out the view, but decided it wasn't worth the effort. I wish now that I had, because I bet it would have taken me to my mystery ridge, which I could have explored. I'll have to check that out if I ever get back up...oh cripes, somebody slap me if I start thinking about doing that.
THE WEST RIDGE ROUTE TO WAUNA
Down at the Wauna Viewpoint at noon. Rested a bit, repacked, got tired of the facebook/instagram/whatever crowd. Some of them were downright rude and pushy, dominating the VP, like it was all about them. The narcissist generation.
How will I get over to the three-way powerline junction to start my west ridge hike to Wauna? Powerline road is an unknown, and it will be hot and sunny. But it's more direct, and that won out. Smart choice, I was there in no time.
From the three-way powerline junction I'd been tentatively planning to follow the lines up to the south, but no way, much too steep. Followed roads, passing under powerlines, looking for a faint trail to the side, saw nothing. Tried a couple possibilities, but faded immediately. Saw a couple cool slides that buried the road, but recently repaired. Wish I'd been here a little earlier to see the damage. Reached the Tanner trail and figured that was a good place to break and consider options. Decided I needed more research/advice, so headed back down, with plans to explore a unmaintained spur road, which ended up taking me right where I needed to go. There's a discussion about finding this route over in the Trail Q&A section, so I'll refer you there if you want the finer details.
ANOTHER COUPLE
On the way down to check out that spur road, I encountered another young couple just briming with charisma and charm. Thoroughly enjoyed chatting with them, but we were all on our feet, and had places to go, so went our separate ways. Like me, they were a bit perplexed and not quite finding the route they were looking for. However, unlike me they weren't even in the general area. They were looking for...get this...Munra Point! They knew it was near Moffet Creek. I offered pointers and tips to make their next attempt more successful.
THE WEST RIDGE SHORTCUT TO WAUNA
Started out as a boring steep dirt path through an ugly forest. Hit a neat little flat spot where the trail was basically a ridgecrest for maybe 30 yards, but then right back up, until an abrupt end, where the ridge dropped slightly, changed direction, and became more rocky and verdant. Okay, now we're talking. Trail routing was weird though. It seemed to be designed strictly for quick access, with no allowance for scenery. When the trail bypassed a scenic rocky stretch, I picked my own route through the rocky ridgecrest. Spotted quite a few of the controversial blazes, fashioned with paint can or hatchet. Quite a few sawcut ends. This trail is better maintained than some USFS trails! I know some people are angry about this, but I think it's kinda neat that somebody adopted this trail. And, like Kramer's Arthur Burkhardt Expressway, the results will not please all travelers. When the ridge faded and flattened, I had to flag it a bit. It was getting late, and I couldn't risk any drama on my way out. I suspected I had quite a ways to go through boring scenery, so started considering a turnaround point, but then stumbled onto the trail again, and soon met the official Wauna Point trail, which I strolled along in both directions at a leisurely pace, with no particular plan, just enjoying the lush open forest. At the time, I thought it was the Tanner trail. Interesting to discover it was the WP trail, and that earlier in the day I had walked right by that junction. I don't fault myself for not noticing though. It's too faint to spot if you're not looking for it, possibly even if you are. Judging by how flat the terrain was, I bet if I had followed the Wauna trail a little farther, I would have hit the Tanner trail junction, for the second time that day. That would have blown my mind. On my way down the west ridge, I followed the trail past the point where my offtrail route intersected the trail, down through new (to me) trail, until it faded, and I surmised I was close to where I lost the trail on my ascent. Yep, there it was. Even knowing exactly where the trail was, I found it hard to see through a brief stretch. In retrospect, when I lost the trail I should have walked a big circle hoping to run into a clearer section, but I didn't really expect it get clear again.
BACK TO THE CAR
Was severely undernourished and desiccated, so looked forward to a long break and meal where the powerlines cross the ridge and the trail turns back to road. Not such a great break though. It was getting cooler, and I had shade, but I was surrounded by bits of poison oak in the grass where I wanted to sit and sort out my gear, and the mosquitoes were thick, and the ants wanted to share my meal, so I ate and drank fast and scurried off. There was no time anxiety, as I had two light sources, but I did prefer to get back to my car in the light, so I maintained a brisk pace down the road, explored the labyrinth around the powerline junction, down the 400, and back to Eagle Creek. Surprised at how little time it took. I guess the ascent seemed to take forever because I was hot and tired, and never quite sure where I was going.
ADVICE
Wauna to Wauna is worth doing once, but only once. Make a loop out of it. I would suggest CCW (western ridge up, down to Wauna Viewpoint). Or you can do it CW if you're comfortable finding the west ridge on top (it's not evident; you may have to hunt a bit).
Recommended gear: Ice axe highly recommended. If you plan on taking poles, take the baskets off. In fact, get rid of anything that might snag the brush. If party size justifies it, take hedge pruners (doesn't make sense if it's just you). I took a rope on my second trip, mostly for my mystery ridge, but generally the route is so brushy that a rope is more trouble than it's worth. There are a few spots where it's probably worthwhile if the party size justifies the extra space/weight, but I wouldn't go more than 40'.
Route tips: If you get off route, don't go too far east. If you end up in Eagle Creek canyon, you'll regret it. If you end up too far west, you'll hit the powerline road, so no big deal. But remember the ridgecrest can get extremely steep on the west, so if you should happen to end up on that side, you may never get back to the east side and the standard route.
Being a joint German-Irish collaboration (thanks Mom, thanks Dad), I celebrated my success (well, my survival anyway) in the traditional style with a bottle of Russian Imperial Stout.