Forum Index > Trip Reports > SE Olympics August 7-13, 2021
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RAW-dad
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Posts: 119 | TRs | Pics
Location: Oregon
RAW-dad
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PostTue Aug 17, 2021 2:32 pm 
After a year off from backpacking due to some problems with my old knees, returned to the SE Olympics for a week-long foray with an old friend from college. It’s always fun to get back out in the wilds and introduce someone to our beloved ONP. The trip had its ups and downs (roughly 10,000 feet of them!) with great views near and far, some decent flower shows (we were past peak in most places), a pleasant bear interaction, a few shooting stars, and (unfortunately) some heinous heat, smoke, and flies toward the end! I’ll let the pictures tell the story, but here’s the basic itinerary… Day 1 (Aug 7): Dosewallips TH to Big Timber Camp; scattered showers, cool hiking and a camp to ourselves
1_Pillow basalt cliff
1_Pillow basalt cliff
2_milky Dosewallips
2_milky Dosewallips
3_not-so-Big-Timber-Camp
3_not-so-Big-Timber-Camp
Day 2: Big Timber to lakes E of Anderson; cold wind and fog for a while at the lakes
3.5_Dose destruction
3.5_Dose destruction
4_Corydalis near Honeymoon Meadows
4_Corydalis near Honeymoon Meadows
5_getting 'er done on the Anderson "Glacier" trail
5_getting 'er done on the Anderson "Glacier" trail
5.5_way to East Anderson lakes
5.5_way to East Anderson lakes
6_East Anderson Lakes in a cloud
6_East Anderson Lakes in a cloud
Day 3: Anderson to Bull Elk Basin via the cirque; sad to see the demise of the Anderson glacier
7_Sunrise over Constance
7_Sunrise over Constance
8_Lake 4924
8_Lake 4924
9_way to East Anderson Peak (on right)
9_way to East Anderson Peak (on right)
10_Anderson cirque sans glacier
10_Anderson cirque sans glacier
11_Mount La Crosse
11_Mount La Crosse
12 Lindsey Glacier still hanging tough
12 Lindsey Glacier still hanging tough
13_Bull Elk Basin at sundown
13_Bull Elk Basin at sundown
Day 4: Bull Elk Basin to Lake Ben; many parties encountered on the “lonely” O’Neil Pass trail, but at least ONP bears are still wild
13.5_fleeing bear that was coming straight toward us but did a quick u-turn when we spoke to him/her/they
13.5_fleeing bear that was coming straight toward us but did a quick u-turn when we spoke to him/her/they
14_route to Private Fisher's Notch
14_route to Private Fisher's Notch
15_Burke Range to Anderson pano
15_Burke Range to Anderson pano
15.5_Tow Head Babies!!
15.5_Tow Head Babies!!
16 looking back at the O'Neil Pass trail
16 looking back at the O'Neil Pass trail
17_O'Neil Creek Basin
17_O'Neil Creek Basin
18_Lake Ben & O'Neil Peak at dusk
18_Lake Ben & O'Neil Peak at dusk
Day 5: Lake Ben to tarn above Hart Lake; rare view point into the N Fork Skokomish, tons of Elk sign & starting to get hot
19_N F Skokomish valley & Nine Stream basin
19_N F Skokomish valley & Nine Stream basin
20_Sawtooths & Mt. Henderson?
20_Sawtooths & Mt. Henderson?
21_Olympus from afar
21_Olympus from afar
22_La Crosse basin & the other side of Private Fisher's Notch
22_La Crosse basin & the other side of Private Fisher's Notch
23_ beautiful Hart Lake
23_ beautiful Hart Lake
24_tarn above Hart Lake, can you find the bear?
24_tarn above Hart Lake, can you find the bear?
25_room with a view, a view of Mount Duckabush
25_room with a view, a view of Mount Duckabush
Day 6: Tarn above Hart to Nine Stream; 11 miles of smoke, heat and flies – a day from hell!
26_incoming smoke down the Duckabush Valley
26_incoming smoke down the Duckabush Valley
27_Bear Grass above Marmot Lake
27_Bear Grass above Marmot Lake
27.5_Skokomish at Nine Stream - no flies!  ::)
27.5_Skokomish at Nine Stream - no flies! smile.gif
Day 7: Nine Stream to Staircase TH; nice walk out the Skoke, much food and drink consumed at Ecliptic Brewing in PDX
28_Devil's Club from above
28_Devil's Club from above
28.5_mega blowdown
28.5_mega blowdown
29_bracket fungus
29_bracket fungus
30_still smiling after all those miles (and years)
30_still smiling after all those miles (and years)
As always, the Olympic Mountains did not disappoint and it was a special treat to spend a week with an old friend. Piece of cake, right Mike?

Olympic Hiker, rubywrangler, ozzy, hapemask, JasonK806, Tom, RichP, awilsondc, reststep
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reststep
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reststep
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PostTue Aug 17, 2021 2:51 pm 
Thanks for the report and pictures. Those lakes east of Anderson look like a beautiful spot. Hope to make it there sometime.

"The mountains are calling and I must go." - John Muir
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kitya
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Joined: 15 Mar 2010
Posts: 842 | TRs | Pics
Location: Duvall, WA
kitya
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PostTue Aug 17, 2021 2:54 pm 
Chicken of the woods! Yummy!

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silence
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silence
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PostTue Aug 17, 2021 6:57 pm 
Yea ... great trip and nice to see your smiling faces at the end. Way to go boys!

PHOTOS FILMS Keep a good head and always carry a light bulb. – Bob Dylan
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RodF
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Location: Sequim WA
RodF
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PostTue Aug 17, 2021 7:42 pm 
Thanks for sharing your trip and views! It's a privilege to "tag along" with someone who knows these Olympics so well. up.gif

"of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt" - John Muir "the wild is not the opposite of cultivated. It is the opposite of the captivated” - Vandana Shiva
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RAW-dad
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Joined: 07 Jul 2017
Posts: 119 | TRs | Pics
Location: Oregon
RAW-dad
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PostSat Aug 21, 2021 8:21 am 
Thanks all! reststep- do try to get to those lakes, well worth it! kitya- I know nothing about fungi, so thanks for the ID. They were beautiful. silence- the last day's hike was pleasant and meditative, hence the smiles. and there were seats with backs in our near future! RodF - high praise coming from you regarding Olympics knowledge. I've enjoyed reading your many informative posts over the years. You could write a book!

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Forum Index > Trip Reports > SE Olympics August 7-13, 2021
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