August, 5th, 2023 (Republished 6/17/2025)
The day dawned bright and early as my son, Kris and I got into the truck for the hours long drive to the Olympic Mountain range located on the Olympic Peninsula. This region is among the most remote in the state. As we drove ever closer to our destination, I filled my son in on the history of the area. We had tried to come out to the hike last year, but an early snow had stopped us at the trailhead. This, however, gave me time to do more research and gain more knowledge of the area and its history.
The area was a hub for mining, in the early 1900’s gold and copper were discovered in the area of the Dungeness River leading to much mining in the area. The Tubal Cain mine was set up to mine magnesium and copper. Despite much early promise, the mine never really lived up to expectations. First an avalanche in 1912 damaged the mine and later geological instability made it difficult to find rich enough deposits of the metals. As a result, the mine was closed down in the 1920’s. The trail leading to the mine ended up becoming part of the Tubal Cain Trail. Another interesting event related to the history of the area was the crash of a B-17 bomber after returning from a search and rescue mission in 1952. The plane was flying in blizzard conditions with limited visibility, en route to McChord Air Force Base, when it clipped a ridgeline of a mountain and then slid down the slope, landing in the remote high mountain valley below. Sadly, three of the eight crewmembers perished in the crash. The survivors were rescued the following day but due to the difficult terrain, little was salvaged from the plane.
As we stepped out of the truck and began our walk, we felt the excitement of a long-awaited adventure. We had waited all winter and spring and now would finally get to explore the area and all its historical significance. As we walked along the trail we could hear the rushing water from a nearby river. We could also see beautiful Rhododendron bushes lining the trail. We walked for several miles enjoying the scenery and looking for the switchback that would take us to the old mine. It turned out the switchback was barely visible, and we had to double back to find it but find it we did. It led up the mountain. After a quarter mile we were gazing into the big black hole located on the side of the mountain. Using our phone flashlights, we entered the tunnel keeping a lookout for bats. It turned out there were none. We were excited to be in the mine and could feel the damp wet walls and see the chisel marks from the machinery and miners that had carved the mine out of the mountain. After a bit the tunnel ended somewhat anticlimactically in a dead-end. We returned to the entrance and had a snack before hiking up the very steep and narrow trail to the top of the mountain.
After many breaks to catch our breaths and take in the views, we got to the top of the mountain and continued on the trail till we reached a high alpine valley nestled in between several mountains. We sensed we were close to the crash site and after a few more minutes we started to see pieces of aluminum in the brush. We crossed a stream on some slippery rocks and traveled up a small rise and there it was. The bomber had long since broken apart, but we could see remnants of the wings and large parts of the aluminum skin of the aircraft strewn about the valley, partially obscured by the brush. We found one wing was largely intact and next to it was the landing gear. The tire was in good shape for its age and exposure to the elements. I could even see the words “Goodyear” stamped on it. As we looked around, we could see bits of melted steel and aluminum from that fateful day in 1952.
After an hour we decided to head back down the mountain. As we walked back to the trailhead we talked about how amazing it was to experience the beauty of the hike and to explore the mine and crash site. One of the best things in life is spending time with your children doing activities that bring you closer together. As a multi-racial Christian, I have a deep respect for nature and sharing the beauty of God’s creations with your child is one of the best blessings in life.