Posted in Washington
September 20, 2018
There’s A Hike In Washington That Leads You Straight To An Abandoned Plane Crash
The Olympic National Forest’s Buckhorn Wilderness is located in the northeast portion of the park. It’s quiet, remote, and it also happens to be the sight of an old B-17 crash from 1952… oh, and there’s an old abandoned mine you can check out as well.
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It's trail number 840, which you'll find near Sequim.
The trail is about 7.2 miles round-trip.
This abandoned copper mine is named after Tubal-Cain, a character mentioned in the Bible. It was active from 1902 until the early 1920s, although a huge avalanche in 1912 started its decline.
In January of that year, a search-and-rescue B-17 was returning to McChord Air Force Base after assisting with a rescue mission in Canada. The plane was passing over the Olympic Mountains when it clipped a ridge and skidded down a steep, snowy slope, killing 3 of the 8 passengers onboard. The remaining 5 were rescued the next day after building emergency shelters to rest in overnight.
As you look around, you can't help but think of the terrific force that scattered hundreds of pounds of metal into the forest.
The trail is open all year long, but you'll want to make the hike soon if you want to beat the cold weather and snow.
Hiking and history combine well on this challenging trail. And once you’ve checked this one off your bucket list, check out the Iron Goat Trail.
