The goal of this trip was to do the Bailey Traverse from High Divide to Low Divide at the headwaters of the Elwha. I ended up turning around just past Mt Carrie due to poor visibility which made it difficult to find the route. Eleven Bull Basin was my turnaround point. Some notes for people heading up into this area: - there is still snow up there, but the trail and traverse route along Mt Carrie are basically snow free. - There is no running water between Heart Lake and Mt Carrie. There are snow fields and some stagnant pools (such as Boston Charlie's camp) - There are places where the boot path is washed out by creeks and slides. The footing is precarious and exposed. - There were some mosquitoes in Sol Duc Park, but I found very few on the high route. This is a fantastic area. The weather cleared somewhat and the contrast of the rocky and snowy Bailey Range and Mount Olympus with the Hoh River valley is truly spectatular. The wildflowers were out in force and hummingbirds and dark eyed junkos were everywhere. Saw two bears grazing on the hillside opposite Heart Lake. Lots of Goat hair along The Catwalk. You really get the meaning of a ""cathedral forest"" while hiking up the Sol Duc. The trees there are big and tall. If you're planning anything along the Bailey Range, be sure to read several guidebooks and trip reports on the web. I found route descriptions varied somewhat. Some aditional navigations tools such as a GPS and altimeter should complement your map/compass. -Pat

Couldn't waste the one good-weather day of the week, so I headed for Sol-duc to do the high-divide loop. Having read (in WTA reports) of the mob that is attracted to this trail, i was not surprised to see several dozen groups of hikers on the trail, despite it being a Wed. sandwiched by imperfect weather! Most of them were camped near Deer & Heart Lakes though, so i'd wait a couple more years before installing the toll- booths. The trail has been amply described in previous reports; its snow free and in good condition; just couldn't resist dispelling the myth that the loop isn't feasible as a day hike: I found it quite manageable and enjoyable, even with side trips. The lack of real steep sections make the 19+ miles feel alot less strenuous than many W. Wa. hikes of half the distance. I hit the trail at 9, went clockwise (Heart Lake first) and returned at 6. This is probably the more aesthetic way; but for a day hike i would reccomend the opposite way, since the deer lake to solduc falls section is very rocky and less friendly to tired feet. Anyhow, this was a great hike, and i got some terrific views of Olympus rising above the low cloud deck before the fog thickened and ended my photo session from Bogachiel pk. on. Just missed a couple bears feasting along the trail near the peak. Im psyched for Sept. now!

Took an old friend of mine from Jersey on a 2-night trip to show him a sample of the wild Olympics. We hiked the Sol Duc trail five miles to the junction with the Appleton Pass trail. As expected, the Sol Duc trail is in top-notch shape and very busy with folks doing the Seven Lakes Basin loop. The Appleton Pass trail begins in O.K. condition as it climbs above the Sol Duc's valley bottom, though it deteriorates dramatically upon reaching the subalpine zone due to numerous blow-downs. Although most of the downed trees are not large, it seems that many of them are lying at the most inconvenient angles possible. Some have also splintered, creating tiny little crawl spaces that one must try to slip through. In a couple of places, it was easier to remove our packs, drop them over the downed trees, then hop over ourselves. I'm not usually the most vociferous critic of hiking fees, yet it seems as if Olympic Park's custodians are taking more of my money while the trails increasingly fall into various states of disrepair. As carefully illustrated by author Carsten Lien, the management history of Olympic is a shady one, so we'd do well to scrutinize their budget priorities. We camped the first night at Appleton Pass, near Oyster Lake (pond), in a cold, misty rain that finally broke near sunset. The rest of our trip was blessed with lovely weather. From Oyster Lake, we made our way to the Catwalk. Leaving the hordes of people behind at the pass, we climbed a bit through open meadows and snow patches. The way trail was fairly visible until where it begins to descend, probably a little less than one-half mile beyond Oyster Lake. It then pretty much vanishes in a large meadow, but can be easily picked up by going straight across the open area to where the tread begins again in the woods. The descent from there to a pretty brook is a steep one, and is followed by a subsequent ascent to Spread Eagle Pass (a nearby snowfield does indeed assume the appearance of an eagle). The almost gothic view at Spread Eagle was the best of the trip. On one side, we could see down the Sol Duc Valley for miles, while the other side offered a great look at the Bailey Range and the deep gash of Cat Creek. The Catwalk path stays high for a while from here as it heads south, mostly on the Cat Creek side of the divide. Views of Mount Olympus were full and frontal as we scooted along on the rough and narrow route. Rock slides are occasionally crossed. Poles or an ice axe are handy for balance. After traversing three consecutive cirques, we chose to stay high in order to reach Cat Lake, instead of descending to the lower portions of Cat Basin. Be warned that the final drop on the higher-up option after crossing the third cirque is extremely steep and rocky. It might be a better idea to go all the way down to the basin floor and then climb back up to the lake, but I couldn't say for sure. We camped the second night in the vicinity of the lake. An attempt was made to swim in it, but its ultra-chilly waters spat us back out in mere seconds. Marmots were everywhere here, and their whistling was almost nonstop due to the high density of bears. We saw probably four bears total in this area, though it was difficult to count accurately as they kept popping up again and again. They were far more interested in munching on their alpine salad than paying us any heed. Finally, on Day 3, we briefly followed a game/way trail from the lake to pick up the High Divide trail, which smoothly delivered us west to Sol Duc Park. A long descent from there, down the valley, and back to the trailhead concluded a swell venture.

High Divide is spectacular. The trail is snow-free except for a few patches east and west of Bogachiel Peak. We spent the night at Silver Snag and were treated to views of Mt. Olympus that will forever stay etched in our minds. All lakes, trails and camp sites have melted out. The wild flowers are out. The rock stair way to Heart Lake is impressive. The Lake itself is a gem. Although it's a pain, the reservation system really helps minimize the number of people in the area and preserve the wilderness experience. There is one large tree down on the trail above The Pot Holes. The Bear-Wire at Silver Spur is down. Water is difficult to obtain between the Pot Holes and Heart Lake. There is a small pond behind Silver Snag and snow can be melted for water. Enjoy this hike, the views are priceless.

Snow from Heart Lake to Bogachiel with few bare patches. Bogachiel to Hoh Lake quite treacherous with numerous steep and long snow fields. Run out on trees and rocks. Ice ax experience required! Snow kept the masses away. Saw no one (except for a single ranger) from Sol Duc Falls to below Hoh Lake. Beautiful terrain/views. Hoh Lake toilet is a gem! What a view! :)