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PTLateHiker
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Location: Port Townsend
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PostTue Jul 21, 2020 5:23 pm 
Three of us had fine weather in the Olympic National Park for a loop from the upper Dungeness TH to the Slab Camp TH. We went over Constance Pass, Graywolf Pass and off-trail to Cedar Lake. Forty miles, four nights, and 16,500 feet of up and down. Day one - 20-07-12 Sunday Dungeness to Home Lake Lots of cars at the trailhead and people on the trail until Boulder Camp. After that we saw a total of four people until we got to Camp Tony on the last night. It was brilliantly sunny at the beginning but we hiked up into clouds.
The forest was beautiful at Royal Creek
The forest was beautiful at Royal Creek
Rocky crossing and steep climb to the lake at the end.
Rocky crossing and steep climb to the lake at the end.
First time at Home Lake. Beautiful small lake. Rocky all around. A big colander with no obvious outlet. Very shaded site with mount Constance looming to the east. Exploration was abbreviated by clouds rolling in. Early to bed after supper. Slept fitfully. Day two - 20-07-13 Monday Home Lake to Deception Creek Cam
Day dawned clear. Breakfast with a view.
Day dawned clear. Breakfast with a view.
Got on the trail at 8:15 because a patch of sunlight let us dry out our bags. Hiked up to Del Monte Ridge.
Leaving Home Lake
Leaving Home Lake
Climbing to Del Monte Ridge
Climbing to Del Monte Ridge
Mt. Constance
Mt. Constance
Phlox like snow.
Phlox like snow.
Hung out on the ridge for an all too short time. Long descent down the Constance Pass trail to the Dosewallips trail then five miles more to Deception Creek Camp.
Don't worry. We're just passing through.
Don't worry. We're just passing through.
Again beautiful wildflowers all the way. Deception Creek campsite is great. Brand new privy still smells of Cedar. Easy water access. Few bugs. Slept great because of the sound of the roaring creek. Day three - 20-07-14 Tuesday Deception Creek to Cedar Lake Camp Long climb up to Graywolf Pass. Obscure trail through meadows at the beginning and then just relentlessly steep. Lots of blowdowns to cross on the climb to the pass. The most on the trip.
Graywolf pass trail beautiful as it switchbacks up through wildflowers meadows.
Graywolf pass trail beautiful as it switchbacks up through wildflowers meadows.
Still snow below the pass. Traversed a snow field carefully and then heel and toed down a scree slope to miss another snow field farther down. Uneventful but beautiful traverse to the pass above Cedar Lake
Traversing the cirques above the Graywolf.
Traversing the cirques above the Graywolf.
Looking backward towards the pass
Looking backward towards the pass
The Needles and Mount Deception
The Needles and Mount Deception
Dropping down to the lake was a beautiful descent in perfect weather.
Just beautiful.
Just beautiful.
Hardest part of getting to Cedar Lake was the wet stumble along the lakeshore to the camp. Fell on my butt in the mud.
Cedar Lake
Cedar Lake
Heather
Heather
Morning at the Lake
Morning at the Lake
Had the Cedar lake campsite to ourselves. Lots of bugs but they didn't seem to be biting much for some reason. Easy bathing. Fish eager to bite anything I threw into the water. Clear starry night again. Day four - 20-07-15 - Cedar Lake to Camp Tony
'Bye until next time
'Bye until next time
Our longest mileage day began with a challenging descent down the Cedar Lake way trail. Wet and obscure at the bottom. Barely caught the intersection with the Slab Camp trail just before Graywolf Camp. Trail above the Graywolf was steeper than I remembered. There were blowdowns here as well - fewer than below Graywolf pass but this isn't a trail you want to fall off of.
Grinding Home
Grinding Home
We spent a last night at Camp Tony on the beautiful Graywolf right at the bridge. Once again slept well with the river sound. Climbed to the trailhead and the car in two hours the next morning. Thank you Olympics. As good as can be. Heres' the route:

"back at camp the mountain peak still in my legs" - Yu Chang
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bobbi
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Joined: 13 Jul 2006
Posts: 8012 | TRs | Pics
Location: olympics!
bobbi
stillaGUAMish
PostTue Jul 21, 2020 6:51 pm 
WOW! what a wonderful trip! thanks for sharing! beautiful scenery as always. I love home lake! yep the switchbacks to graywolf pass is better going down, ha! I caught my first fish at Cedar lake. the Olympics are quite special. I love it!

bobbi ૐ "Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So…get on your way!" - Oh, the Places You’ll Go! By Dr. Seuss
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RAW-dad
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Joined: 07 Jul 2017
Posts: 119 | TRs | Pics
Location: Oregon
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PostWed Jul 22, 2020 6:25 am 
Nice loop! I've always enjoyed the trail up to Home Lake next to the huge talus piles coming off Constance and the Cedar Lake waypath from GW Pass. Nice to see these places in 2020. Thanks for sharing!

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silence
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PostWed Jul 22, 2020 7:32 am 
Several years ago we did: from Deer Park, up the Cameron, over Cameron Pass, over Lost Pass, over Gray Wolf and back to Deer Park. The plan was to do a side over to Cedar Lake, but it started raining on Gray Wolf so we decided to pass it by and save it for another trip. We’ve never gotten back. Now I wish we did it when we had the chance, even though it was quite enchanting walking thru the upper Gray Wolf basin in the rain. Your beautiful photos of the approach and lake are so alluring. Thanks for the great TR and pix. Lots of great memories from that neck of the woods.

PHOTOS FILMS Keep a good head and always carry a light bulb. – Bob Dylan
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