Constance Pass - AWS Observation Post

Constance Pass was on a list of lookouts given to the Aircraft Warning Service personal at start of AWS program. The list labeled it as a National Park Lookout used during times of good weather. Located on the best highpoint along this broad pass is a rock shelter that was clearly built well and has stood for decades. The inside is completly flat, large enough for two people to sleep well. There are rock steps to enter and a rock bench located inside. The base rocks of the shelter were clearly placed with precision, time and thought. Just a few feet higher at the summit is another rock wall. Given the document and the evidence at the location, I believe this was indeed a fire lookout camp.

The Aircraft Warning Service did chose to maintain a AWS lookout at Constance Pass. Documents show the lookout being in the S/E corner of section 4, a bit west of Constance Pass but on the historic Constance Pass Trail. One document goes further to say the location was at a small lake. Indeed, in this quarter section, right along the trail is a small lake. The area is near Sunnybrook Meadows and the Sunnybrook Shelter was there as shown on the 1933 Olympic National Forest map. This location is logical given the access to a water source (the lake and spring above the lake). The AWS lookout person likely utilized this structure for a living quarters. As for where the AWS staff was spotting airplanes, it is possible from the meadows but use of the stone shelters on the ridge would be better. If the stone shelters were not from previous use as fire observations, then the AWS definitely built the rock shelters. This was only a summer lookout, for the remainder of the year, the lookout person was at the lower site located at the bottom of the Dosewallips Valley. The winter site was called Dosewallips, in the west half of Section 24. The concern was airplanes coming through the Dosewallips Valley.

Location: SE1/4 S4 T26N R4W (and Section 3)
Structure: Lookout was a camp, AWS likely a shelter
Owner of Land at Time: Olympic National Park

1930 Olympic Trail Guide Map shows a telephone at Constance Pass

1933 Olympic National Forest map shows a shelter in section 4 west of the pass

Section lines in yellow are estimated based on adjacent STR

Rock Shelter west of Constance Pass

This document to the left, prepared for the Aircraft Warning Service, shows established lookout structures. Constance Pass is listed. Of the 28 listed, 26 had the traditional fire lookout buildings. Only Low Divide and Constance Pass were likely shelters, not the traditional lookout structure. Constance Pass is also listed as manned if weather permitting.

Legend:
NP - National Park Service Lookout
S - State Forest Fire Association Lookout
NF - National Forest Service Lookout
* - Lookouts to be manned, weather permitting

Showing the small lake

Summer stations, usually used from July to September before going to a lower location

Doc showing Constance Pass at a small lake in SE1/4 of Sec. 4

View of The Brothers

Mount Mystery and Deception

Warrior, Inner Constance and C-141 Peak

Looking North to the Dungeness Valley

Upper rock shelter several feet higher than the nice rock shelter

Sunset from the rock shelter over Mount Mystery