http://mosswalks.blogspot.com/2014/07/solduck-high-divide-appleton-pass.html We started at Solduc after the camp host gave us a ride from US 101 to his camp site. Spent the first night at Deer lake, mosquito hell, poor, small, rocky campsite could not get out of there fast enough. Day 2 up the high divide very little snow, leave your ice axe at home. Wild flowers everywhere. Day 3 up the Appleton Pass trail and then down to Olympic Hot Springs, wild flowers and frogs everywhere. Lost the Appleton pass trail just before it went into the woods, thrashed about in the woods for a quite a while looking for the trail, not fun. We were two contour lines above the trail on an animal track or more likely a lost hiker track. Arrived at Olympic Hot Springs at 8pm. The place was empty, the pools are all still there but most are getting mucky. Downed trees make it very difficult to get the the high hot pool, the second to last pool (my favorit) has been destroyed by a tree falling and taking all the pool with it's rootball. Day 5 of hiking up to Boulder Lake some large trees down but not too bad, Boulder Lake was in the clouds, cold and wet, then up the Happy Ridge Trail, only ten trees down and all small enough to step over. Then onto the Aurora Ridge trail a riot of wild flowers, trail in good shape hard to see in a couple of places but easy routefinding. Then down the Aurora Divide trail, my map calls is the upper barnes creek trail, very confusing intersecton but the sign that said 7.5 miles to Lake Crescent was all we needed. Aurora Divide trail in excellent condition with recent work. One small but recent land slide about 1/3 of the way from the top wants to be cleared out. Then down to the Barnes Creek trail, Barnes Creek trail in excellent condition. I wish there was a sign directing us to the bus stop, it took us a while to find the Barnes creek bus stop, but now I know it's near the most westerly tunnel under 101. An amazing trip. I took hundreds of photos and will be posting them here: http://mosswalks.blogspot.com/2014/07/solduck-high-divide-appleton-pass.html 36 miles 8,500 feet elevation gain

After arriving at Sol Duc Falls (we started walking from campground loop A) we decided to keep on hiking. We headed up to Deer Lake, then over to Mink Lake, and finished by the hot springs resort. It probably ended up being around 12 miles of trekking. There were stretches of snow after we left Deer Lake, and quite a bit on the descent to Mink Lake. We were able to walk across with minimal post-holing, but the snow obscured the trail in several spots which made it a bit tricky follow. After leaving Sol Duc Falls, there were more elk tracks around than human footprints, so this hike is definitely for those seeking solitude.

Visited on a partly cloudy day after a couple of days of rain in the area. Trail was great - no issues. Easy hike with my moderately active 73 year old mom and a cousin who had hurt a foot earlier. No complaints from either. The falls were rich and loud. At the viewpoint we enjoyed a lot of mist and spray. Puddles on the bridge. There were quite a few people out there as well.

Left out of the lodge through the various campgrounds to the CCC cabin and bridge. All fine and nice falls. Came back on the other side of the river to the lodge. Quite a bit of blowdown. Only suggestion is to do the loop in the other direction (counterclockwise), since the section after we left the falls has many roots and stones for a while. Easier to go up this type of terain than down. No snow.

The 4 hr drive to get there was beautiful but when we got to the gate there was a note posted saying the road was closed until March 28th. Nowhere did it say it was closed on the internet or anywhere else I researched!!! None of the phone numbers I called (message only) did it state this road was closed. What a disappointment. We ended up driving the whole 101 hwy loop starting in Olympia stopping at several locations for mini hikes, then dinner in Aberdeen and back to Olympia. It was a 13 hr day..good mom and daughter time ;)