[Stella]

With California’s virus numbers spiking, we canceled a Yosemite permit and instead scheduled a week in the Olympics. Starting from Obstruction Point, we went through Grand Valley and over Grand, Cameron, Lost, and Gray Wolf pass, with a side trip up to Hayden Pass and out via Deer Park. Our campsites were Gladys Lake, Cameron Basin, Lost Pass, Upper Dose Meadows, the tarn below Gray Wolf pass, and lastly Three Forks. This was all new terrain for us and, except for the salt seeking deer that circled the tent at night, we enjoyed every minute. Spent time watching an ouzel feeding in the Gray Wolf tarn, band-tailed pigeons in Cameron Basin, lots of frogs and tadpoles, and one evening encounter with a bear. Other hikers said the bugs were bad, but we found that while there were a fair number of bugs, they were not the biting kind. The good snowpack and mild early season meant most creeks were running and water was not an issue, except for the long return along Grand Ridge. Enjoyed seeing the headwaters of the Dose and, from the high passes, putting names to peaks and ridges.

Loop trip of ~50 miles and 15,000' gain and loss.

Grand Valley camp

Grand Valley flowers

Grand Valley marmot

Pass is low point middle right

Cameron Basin meadows

Note hikers on scree field

Cameron Pass view to Lost Pass and Thousand Acre Meadow in distance

View of Lost Pass

Lost Pass sunset

Lost Basin sunset

Approach to Hayden Pass

View of Dosewallips headwater

Encountered WTA crew scouting the work involved to log out the Dose and Gray Wolf. Fifty blow-downs on the Gray Wolf trail.

Indian Paintbrush

Gray Wolf Basin and Pass

Tarns on x-ctry route to Cedar Lake

Day 6: enroute to Cedar Lake

Cedar Lake approach

Day 7: alpine start

Trail head just out of view

[resilient]

Beautiful pictures! Thank you for sharing.

[RAW-dad]

Great loop! Thanks for sharing.

[letsgobobby]

how far in advance did you permit your trip? We got stung because the NPS released all the walk in permits for reservation and we couldn’t string together a trip we wanted with the distances we wanted between campsites.

[Katinka]

Beautiful trip! Thanks!

[Stella]

[JustJoe]

Pictures are out of this world(in THIS world), beautiful! Thanks for sharing!

[80skeys]

This looks nice. How close is this to the 7-Lakes Basin/High-Ridge area? I'll be doing that loop in a couple weeks.

[reststep]

Distance from High Divide to Cameron Pass. Google says it is 17.7 miles. https://www.google.com/search?ei=ZX45X4bYGtjE0PEPnt-ruAI&q=distance+from+high+divide+to+cameron+pass+olympic+national+park&oq=distance+from+high+divide+to+cameron+pass+oly&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQARgAMgUIIRCgATIFCCEQoAEyBQghEKABMgUIIRCrAjoECAAQRzoHCCEQChCgAVCyswJYtsICYInpAmgAcAF4AIABZYgB3QKSAQMzLjGYAQCgAQGqAQdnd3Mtd2l6wAEB&sclient=psy-ab

[80skeys]

[drm]

I backed off of Gray Wolf Pass earlier this year because I can't deal with that many blowdowns. If WTA clears them, I gotta go back?

[wanagel]

Hi, I'm the volunteer crew leader this group ran in to on Graywolf Pass. We were scouting, that is correct. And I am heading in with a crew of 6 strong trail volunteers, 2 chain saws and one gas powered brusher with a steel blade. We will be clearing all the logs on the Graywolf south of the pass down to the Dosewallips (there are more like 70 if you count absolutely everything we must cut, even the small stuff). We will be brushing from the Dose / Graywolf junction to Bear Shelter on the Dosewallips, which is currently horribly brushy. We are going in on Aug 26 and exiting on Aug 30. So any time after the 29th our work will be done and you will love hiking to Graywolf Pass.

[Stella]

wanagel - We really enjoyed talking with you and your friends at the pass. And again, that you so much for all of the trail work. I hope it goes well.

[wanagel]

:-)