[cougmtsam]

It’s been nearly 10 years since I last posted a TR to this site under an old username. Since then I’ve continued to benefit from the wealth of information that this community offers -- thank you! Recently, a TR on this site played a big influence in a trip I went on. I figure it is now only fair to post a report... Since finding ourselves living in separate states back in high school a few friends and I have kept a tradition of meeting up every summer for some outdoor activities, although only in recent years have we begun to venture towards backpacking. This summer, we had planned to do our most ambitious backpack trip yet in Olympic NP. Our original itinerary was a 42-mile loop from Obstruction Point, heading east towards Deer Park, up the Grey Wolf River to Cedar lake, over Grey Wolf Pass into the Dosewallips river valley, over Cameron Pass, over Grand Pass, then back to Obstruction Point. Wanting to allow ourselves a leisurely pace we planned on completing the loop in 8 days.

Flights and camping permits were booked, gear purchased, and feelings stoked for our first big trip in a couple years. Unfortunately disaster struck when, two days before we were to hit the trail, we learned that there had been a close virus contact within the group. We began to isolate and look into our options for getting tested. Sadly, at this point one friend who had not yet arrived in Washington had to cancel his flight. For better or for worse he would miss out on the trip we later cobbled together.

My friend isolated in this shed for three days, subsisting in part on our camping food.

After a weekend in quarantine we received some negative test results and finally were able to consider what to do next. We were now almost 3 days behind schedule and had essentially given up hope on trying the Olympics trip. However, after scouring Google Earth and stumbling upon a trip report on this site I became convinced that maybe we could try the route after all, with one big change in the area near Mt. Cameron.

Instead of doing this

We would try something like this

Although the Cameron traverse was far beyond anything that some members of our party had attempted (in hindsight, this was clearly a big red flag that we should have chosen a different destination), I felt confident that it looked safely doable for us. On paper the traverse would save us nearly 8 miles of hiking and 2.5k feet of gain, theoretically allowing us to complete the new itinerary in 6 days. Admittedly, the allure of hiking near a few glaciers in that remote area was also very appealing. We studied the route, packed our bags, and prepared for the journey ahead. Day 1: Aug. 9th We left Bellevue at around 7am and made our way to Port Angeles, taking care of various errands along the way such as picking up bear cans. These errands took longer than expected and by the time we began hiking from Obstruction Pt. it was nearly 3:30pm. Our goal for that evening was Three Forks campground, about 12 miles in, so it looked likely we’d be finishing our hike by headlamp.

Starting out on the trail.

The Juan de Fuca views along the Obstruction-Deer Park trail did not disappoint.

Taking in the views.

Grand Valley. Looking inland we were able to see much of our loop.

Deer encounter on our way to Deer Park.

View from trail at Deer Park just before turning towards Three Forks.

The sun was beginning to set as we reached Deer Park. We passed by groups of car campers, ate a snack, and started the drop down towards Three Forks. By now, our spirits were beginning to drop as well for a variety of reasons including blisters, heavy packs, and low water. We reached Three Forks after dark and ate dinner quickly before tending to our blisters then hitting the sack. For this trip I prioritized keeping my pack as light as possible, and given that no rain was forecast I had opted to use an old OR bivy sack as shelter. During this first night I was definitely questioning the wisdom of that choice but in later nights I really enjoyed the more intimate wilderness experience of sleeping out under the stars. Day 2: Aug. 10th We started up the Grey Wolf river trail with the goal of reaching Cedar Lake. There weren’t too many grand views to be had on the Grey Wolf section of trail, but the river itself makes for some scenic company. Quite a few Grey Wolf Trail Crew volunteers were at work improving the trail. Thank you!

Grey Wolf River

One of the only larger vistas along the Grey Wolf River Trail.

Early in the afternoon we hit Falls Camp and the junction with the Cedar Lake primitive trail. A gentleman who was camping here chatted with us — he would be the last other human we’d see for the next 3 days.

Campsite near Falls Camp.

The Cedar Lake primitive trail was in very good shape. I don’t recall too many views along this section of trail until you hit the lake. We reached the lake at around 6pm and celebrated our achievement and arrival at the beginning of the off-trail phase of the trip.

Evening view from our campsite, looking towards the start of the Cameron traverse.

Sunset at Cedar Lake

Day 3: Aug. 11th We slept in and only left camp to begin the traverse at around… noon. I optimistically hoped we’d finish the traverse in one day, followed by a full day of rest at Upper Cameron. However, we did have the option of taking two days to complete the traverse, which looked very likely given our late start.

“Morning” view of Cedar Lake and the start of the traverse.

Plotting our attack of the traverse.

Cedar Lake

Moving up. I think we were a little off-route at this point.

Looking down the Grey Wolf Valley.

As we started up from Cedar Lake we climbed too high too fast and started a short way up the wrong basin. We got back on track, and things got a little steeper as we neared the notch to the west of Cedar Lake. The final section had lots of loose rock and required the use of handholds so we spread out and took our time.

Just below the notch, above the steepest section of the climb to the notch.

Eventually, we all reached the top and peered over into the expansive valley on the other side. This valley is gorgeous. The vast majority of the traverse was also visible from this point, and we were definitely a little jarred by the sheer scale of what remained to cover. Nonetheless we began to pick our way down the steep slopes below the notch.

Mt. Cameron. The traverse cuts through a large chunk of this photo.

Top of the valley and snowfields on eastern flank of Mt. Cameron. We camped near where the creek meets the center of the photo.

As we dropped down from the notch one of our bear cans got loose and began barreling down the hill before landing hundreds of feet below. This was a wide open area so we split up while staying in radio contact in order that only one of us would have to get the can. By now the mid-day sun was beating down and our water was running low. I learned on the weather radio that a heat advisory was in effect in the Olympics.

Bear can landed somewhere in the rocks at the bottom of the hill. The traverse crosses right below the dark cliff on the slopes in the upper right corner of this photo.

Eventually the can was found and we began to traverse towards a meeting point at the top of the valley. Rather than trying to press further we decided to make camp in the basin and enjoy the scenery. We relaxed and took in the valley for the rest of the afternoon. As we were eating dinner we spotted two black bears grazing on a slope far above us.

Our camp, with the slope we came from in the center-right of the photo.

Bathing in the chilly waters.

Bears were hanging out in the meadow in the upper left of this photo.

Evening view from my bivy sack.

Day 4: Aug 12th We awoke to the smell of smoke, but thankfully learned from my dad via inReach that the fire wasn’t local. Due to the smoke we hiked with 3M masks for the remainder of the trip. We made sure to get an earlier start today and I believe we were on the trail by around 8am. We made good time traversing out of the basin then up towards the Cameron glaciers.

There were one or two gullies for us to cross. Soon after this point we traversed under a large cliff then were able to climb uphill towards the glaciers.

Looking back with amazement on the slope that we crossed the day before. Equally amazed that the bear can and its contents survived the fall undamaged.

There is a prominent gully that cuts through the slope in the area below the east Cameron Glacier. From the edge of the gully it looked easily crossable and we considered doing this so we could continue uphill from the other side. We opted against that but it may have been the easier way. We plugged along uphill on some challenging slopes (getting a foothold was tough — that was a theme on this trip) before reaching a small plateau in the creek to get some water.

View uphill just below a small plateau/basin as we near the East Cameron Glacier.

Eventually we reached the snowfields at the base of the East Cameron Glacier. At this point we cut around a rocky knoll and backtracked downhill a short distance to find a nice tarn.

East Cameron Glacier, while supplies last.

Looking back at the eastern glacier and tarn. We arrived from behind the rocky outcrop on the left.

Crossing the creek delta below the tarn.

It looked like there was only one way to go after you passed the tarn — a zig-zig route of sorts that cuts across cliffs above the tarn. Although this section looks intimidating it is not that bad at all once you are on it.

Artsy shot along the cliff traverse section.

Once we finished the cliff section there was only a short distance before we got a view of the next phase of the traverse. At this point we began to panic. This next section involves a massive dune over 600ft from top to bottom. Overall, the dune just looked intimidating and exposed. We were particularly worried about a very exposed section at the top of the dune where it meets the slopes above. We definitely had reservations about attempting the dune but decided to eat lunch, hydrate, then hike to the base for a closer look. The consensus was we would give it a shot knowing we could always bail.

The dune that did us in.

We reached the base of the dune and made our final preparations for the climb. Wanting to have my hands free I put away my trekking poles at this point, and also suggested to the others that they consider doing the same. In hindsight this was probably the wrong call. As we began to make our way up the dune it quickly became clear that footing was a challenge. The rock/gravel making up the dune was very dry and compact and it was impossible to dig your boots in. The ridgeline itself is also just as narrow as it looks from a distance. Amazingly, I’m pretty sure I spotted some bear tracks heading up the ridge.

View towards Mt. Cameron peaks from base of the dune.

Getting started up the dune. It is steepest at the bottom.

Resting along the dune.

We pushed upward, taking a couple breaks along the way. It was very strenuous work to say the least and intense sun was also not doing us any favors. About halfway up our worst fears almost materialized when a member of the group lost his footing and started to slide off the dune. He caught himself with his hands but was now stuck hanging off the crest. He didn’t see many good holds or other ways to regain his footing, particularly with no trekking poles and a heavy pack on. At this point, he no longer felt safe attempting the even sketchier exposed bottleneck section at the top of the dune. We took a breather and considered our options. Backtracking down the ridge of the dune didn’t seem very doable, so we decided that our best option was to drop off the top of the ridge towards a creek below.

After this close call we dropped off the dune towards the snowfield on the left.

Dropping off the dune.

At this point we knew we would have to retrace our steps to some extent, although the idea of retracing all the way back towards Cedar Lake and beyond did not seem like the best option. We settled on retracing our track back towards our last campsite with the plan of dropping into the valley below and bushwhacking until we hit the main Cameron Creek and the Cameron Creek trail. We committed to safely getting as far as we could that evening as the daylight was beginning to wane.

Looking down from the small creek that runs to the west of the dune.

We retraced our steps past the glacier, etc. until we reached the bottom of the prominent cliff in the meadows below Mt. Cameron. Near here we found a large scree slope that offered us a direct line to the bottom of the valley. Dropping down this safely took some time but eventually we hit the bottom and were in a position to make our way out the valley.

Celebrating our escape from the higher slopes. I think my friend may be justifiably trying to give me the finger.

By this point it was getting dark and our focus turned towards finding a campsite. There were not many good options but we found an area that was passable. Day 5: Aug. 13th

Our makeshift campsite. Grand pass in the background.

Given the task that was before us we woke up at the crack of dawn today. Our goal was not only to bushwhack out of the remaining portion of the valley, probably two miles, but also to hike up and over Grand Pass then onwards to our final campsite at Grand Lake. After breaking camp we began the bushwhack and almost immediately stumbled upon a very, very, fresh pile of bear poop. We had bear spray, but hoping to avoid a close encounter we were yelling “hey bear” and other various nonsense on loop for the rest of the day. The bushwhack was very fun, so fun that none of us took any photos. Basically the entire time we were either on a game trail or were trying to pick up a game trail again. It was definitely not fun to be climbing over all of the obstacles in some of the parts, but to the extent we were able to stay on game trails we were often able to avoid this. They were pretty good about taking the path of least resistance. At one point we hit a wasp nest. Two of us were stung, but luckily no one is allergic. After this we entered a large flat meadowy area in the middle of the valley and it looked like we needed to cross the creek. We did that and continued for a while before being forced to cross back again. From this point on we made pretty good time continuing to follow game trails through the woods. Before we knew it we hit Cameron Creek. We crossed the creek and after some final very thick bushwhacking (made unnecessarily difficult by our sloppy route finding at this point) we saw our first real trail in days.

No caption needed.

This is my best guess of what our bushwhack route looked like. We camped to the SW of the lake.

By now we were beyond ready to call it a day, but that was not an option. We briefly rested and prepared ourselves for the climb up to Grand Pass. At the junction of the Grand Pass trail we joked that we were finally where we were “supposed” to be based on our original itinerary. Slowly but steadily we made our way up the Grand Pass trail. I think the hike took us maybe two hours before we were in the final meadows below Grand Pass. We enjoyed the company of the Marmots and took in the views before making the final push to the pass. After a break at Grand Pass we zombie-marched through Grand Valley and reached our camp at Grand Lake just after dark.

Entering the Marmot-filled meadows below Grand Pass.

Looking up towards Grand Pass.

Grand Pass

View from Grand Pass of the valley we had just hiked from.

Tarn near Grand Pass

Looking down the Grand Valley.

Day 6: Aug. 14th At last we had a hiking day that was not severely difficult in one way or another. We enjoyed a leisurely morning in camp then made good time on the hike out of the Grand Valley. Once we gained the ridge it was only a couple flatish miles and many nice views before we were back at the car.

Morning at Grand Lake.

Climbing out of the Grand Valley.

The end is in sight.

Headed home at last.

Post-hike feast.

Quite a few lessons were learned on this trip. The circumstances of the pandemic pushed us towards a situation of biting off more than we could chew. At multiple points we probably should’ve taken a step back and pivoted towards a less committed trip that was better suited to our experience level as a group. We were lucky that no one got hurt as that risk felt way too real along parts of the traverse. Although we promised ourselves we would not allow something like this to happen again, we were all grateful to have had the experience and the story to tell. As for next year… we are considering skipping the backpacking in favor of Vegas for a change.

[IanB]

That was a great trip report! Love the retro photography! You've captured the spirit of Ira Spring.

[zephyr]

[KascadeFlat]

You guys sure had an adventure! Thanks so much for sharing your trip with us.

[zephyr]

[RAW-dad]

That's quite the adventure! I don't think too many parties have passed through your exit valley. You probably know this but your "dune" is a moraine left over from a glacier. Regardless of its name - it is steep!

[MojaveGeek]

That was a bold plan B! Good save there on the re-route out and that the bushwhack was not too bad. I love that area but you really got into the wild there. Thanks for the TR!

[RodF]

Boomheist and I did this (based on ethorson's wonderful report) and hope our TR didn't mislead you into tackling more than you expected.

[Luc]

I second Rod and R-Dad's remarks. I did this traverse a few years ago and from what I can tell, you made the right decisions at the right times, pushing your limits but listening to your gut. I also considered the valley as a bail point, and now I know it's not a full day of slide alder. I agree with Rod that the bottom part is the steepest, but as you climb higher, then the fall distance becomes greater. You probably saw that on the left side (when ascending) also puts you above some steep rock faces below a cliff. That freaked me out. At the top of the moraine, there is a tarn with snowfield (or did you make it that far?) Ascending beyond that, there's another section of moraine, albeit shorter. However from there if you were to fall to the right, you are now on a snowfield that could dump you into the (deep looking) tarn. Fall to the left and you might make headlines. I remember nearing the top, and basically going into tunnel vision and not looking down or thinking too much. I had already made the decision to put myself in a risky spot, and sometimes you think = you stink. Anyway, thanks for the report! Brings back some tension for me! BTW - your camp in the upper Cameron basin is the real prize. Great work and solid calls.

[Brockton]

[boomheist]

When Rod and I climbed the moraine it was raining pretty hard and visibility was not the best, and perhaps this was why I didn't think too much about fall distance to fall from the prow of the ridge. At the top we fell into some big jagged rocks, bent to the right, and came out alongside a half frozen deep tarn, pretty big, actually - an acre? I somehow cut myself on the jagged rocks there but was able to pick my way over to the south end of the little lake. Be a nice camping spot once the snow melts. We didn't spare much time thinking about going up the snowfield behind the lake, a certain slide into icy water. We chose to work through the steep jagged rocks to the left of the snowfield, it was slow going, but then we came up to a little rise to what I call Cloudy Pass. It was easy coming down the other side into Cameron Basin, not half as steep as that face looks from Cameron Pass across the way.

Rod starting off to work up the rocks beside the steep snowfield, which we had to avoid