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Eaglecadd
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Eaglecadd
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PostThu Apr 04, 2019 12:46 pm 
Hey All, I'm looking for great 5-6 day backpack trips. I have spent the last 50 years backpacking there and have covered most of the regularly traversed trails so I'm looking for new ones. I am very capable of doing off trail or way trail trips, but not mountain climbing. Please share your ideas. Thanks.

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silence
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PostThu Apr 04, 2019 3:30 pm 
One of the great ones I see missing from your trip reports is Deception Basin? We went in via Heather Creek and Fricaba Basin. But, the ezier approach is from upper Royal Basin over Deception Paa, or a much more demanding from Delmonte Ridge and Gunsight Pass, or even up Milk Creek, and maybe even up Deception Creek past the falls into lower Deception Basin. https://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7969524

PHOTOS FILMS Keep a good head and always carry a light bulb. – Bob Dylan
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Eaglecadd
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PostThu Apr 04, 2019 4:16 pm 
Hey Silence, Great to hear from you again. Yes, great ideas. Some friends of mine went up Heather Creek Trail last weekend into deep snow. I have seen where some people head up heather Creek above the falls and turn NW heading right up toward Mt Fricaba and then over to Deception Basin between Fricaba and Hal Foss Peak. There is a lake in the basin I believe. Have you been in that area? Looks exciting to me. How tough a climb is it up toward the Basin from Heather Creek? Do you know if there are any trip reports? Thanks

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silence
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PostThu Apr 04, 2019 4:35 pm 
We went along Heather Creek, theb up to Fricaba Basin and over the pass between Fricaba and Hal Foss into Deception ... as have several others, including AA who inspired us to go that way. It's not ez, but is a scenic approach. See my TR, but search others as well for "Deception Basin" https://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7969524

PHOTOS FILMS Keep a good head and always carry a light bulb. – Bob Dylan
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olderthanIusedtobe
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PostThu Apr 04, 2019 5:00 pm 
Eaglecadd wrote:
There is a lake in the basin I believe.
There is a lovely glacier fed lake at the base of Mt. Mystery.

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silence
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PostThu Apr 04, 2019 5:44 pm 
If you're talking Deception Basin ... there's a glacial lake between Mystery and Hal Foss, and a large tarn mid-basin .. see my Aug 2008 report; plus a few smaller tarns in the upper basin. Here's a pic I took in May 2015 on our way back from Del Monte Ridge near Boulder Shelter looking across at the terrain up from Heather Creek, into Fricaba Basin and beyond to the Pass before dropping into Deception Basin.
Fricaba Basin
Fricaba Basin

PHOTOS FILMS Keep a good head and always carry a light bulb. – Bob Dylan
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reststep
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PostThu Apr 04, 2019 8:59 pm 
A few years back Larry listed several traverses in the Olympics in this thread. It is the 4th post down and then on page 2 he lists some more. Maybe you could figure out a 5 or 6 day hike using some of them. ethorsen lists some favorite XC Hikes in this thread. some of them are in the Olympics.

"The mountains are calling and I must go." - John Muir
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Eaglecadd
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PostThu Apr 04, 2019 9:31 pm 
I found and read your TR. Beautiful report and pics. Thank you for that. I am trying to get my friend Mel to go with me. He is as you said, just a bit worried about heights. Is this really steep and "scary?" If I read your report correctly, you camped first night below the notch between Fricaba and Hal Foss Peak? Also I have read about some people continuing over to Royal Lake and wondering about your opinion of the route down from Deception Basin to the lakes? Really tough? If reasonable for old farts like me to make up and down to the lakes to make a loop like this? Thank again for your help.

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Eaglecadd
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PostThu Apr 04, 2019 9:32 pm 
Thanks restep, I'll check them out. I appreciate your help.

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Brian R
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PostThu Apr 04, 2019 10:56 pm 
A friend and I did the traverse from Royal Basin-->Deception Basin-->Gunsight Notch via the back side of Mystery-->DelMonte Ridge-->Sunnbrook Meadows and Constance Pass. Yes, Deception Basin is beautiful--maybe one of the most beautiful spots in the Olympics. Debatable, but right up there with Cameron Basin, Martin Park, LOTA, and several others. Anyway, when we were there in 2013 the glacier was receding fast. Warning, the traverse behind Mystery is an Alder-fest. You could always drop off DelMonte Ridge into the meadows above Heather Creek and out. We were tempted to try, but I was having a rare case of boot issues. Pictures below, in order, if you're interested. NOT a 5-6 day trip as you requested--we did it in three. But I would have added a full day to explore Deception Basin and an extra day at Sunnybrook Meadows too. Royal Basin
Deception Basin
Behind Mystery
Gunsight Notch
First Creek
Sunnybrook Meadows
Constance Pass

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silence
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PostFri Apr 05, 2019 6:40 am 
NWHikers' OlympicMtnHiker is one of the 2 brothers from Poulsbo we met in Deception Basin. They approached from Royal Basin, but scrambled up to Pt 7160' just east of Deception Pass and dropped into the upper basin somewhere along the ridge. After exploring the basin they ended up returning to Royal Basin after dark in the moonlight via the pass. He never wrote up a report, but this was his comment on mine (I might add that he is experienced having done The Brothers several times): The route up from the basin to Deception Pass is definitely very steep (especially in the dark!). There is relatively good footing though. But the other side, dropping down into Royal Basin, is actually a little rougher. The slope seems a bit steeper, and a little more dicey and exposed.

PHOTOS FILMS Keep a good head and always carry a light bulb. – Bob Dylan
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Eaglecadd
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PostFri Apr 05, 2019 10:13 am 
Hey Brian, Thanks for your ideas. I will look over your route. I would plan on spending a day in Deception Basin like Silence did. I absolutely love Sunnybrook meadows. The views and meadow itself are spectacular. I also enjoyed finding the little stone shelter on top of the ridge. I would post pics here but I haven't uploaded any to a website yet.

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Eaglecadd
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PostFri Apr 05, 2019 10:32 am 
I also love Upper Cameron Basin. A few years ago, I did a backpack trip up Cameron Creek to the upper basin. From there I went over the ridge on the North of Mt. Cameron down past the nice little glacial lake below the probably gone Cameron Glacier and down to the lake there. Then we went down to the valley floor and up to a little, but very beautiful, lake labelled as 5115. We camped there. Next day we went over the ridge to Cedar Lake and out the Grey Wolf. It was tricky to find our way down from Cameron to the valley floor, but we found the way.

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silence
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PostFri Apr 05, 2019 10:52 am 
If you're interested in going in via Gunsight Pass, check out Gary and Jan's trip report ... they approached Del Monte Ridge/Sunnybrook from the Camp Handy side, but their description, including a route map should be helpful https://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7994204

PHOTOS FILMS Keep a good head and always carry a light bulb. – Bob Dylan
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Eaglecadd
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PostFri Apr 05, 2019 11:09 am 
Great TR! The pics make visualizing the route so much easier The Basin looks so beautiful I just have to get there. Thanks again, Silence. Dave

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