High Divide - Seven Lakes Basin Loop — Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2020

It had been several years since I last visited this area, so when the opportunity came for a permit, I jumped at it! I left Renton at 3:30 am and arrived at the TH at 7 am for a nice early start.  My permit was for Lunch Lake, so I headed up via Deer Lake.

The family of deer actually greeted me at Canyon Creek #1 and escorted me the rest of the way to Deer Lake, either by pretending not to be following me, or getting ahead of me on the trail and looking back and actually talking (sounded like a baby cry) to me as if to say "Are you coming or what!?"

The parkland above Deer Lake as you climb to the ridge is beautiful.  The traverse along the ridge is breathtaking and distracting with the intense floral display.  This section of the ridge is absolutely at peak flower season right now.

The trail is in excellent condition almost the entire way.  I say almost because there is a scramble section on the top of the ridge near the Seven Lakes Basin junction where the ridge appears to have given away.  Cairns mark the route across a boulder field and with deep holes in places.

Past here, the trail to Seven Lakes Basin jumps the ridge and descends to all the fun that is Lunch Lake.  Drones, illegal camps, a clothing optional couple - all the fun.  It became clear that the backcountry rangers aren't making their presence noticed yet (I've heard reports of this in many national parks).

I found a campsite in the shade to escape the sun and took a short afternoon nap.

Around 6 pm I headed on up the trail to the upper basin (one of my favorite basins in the Olympics) that shortcuts to the eastern section of High Divide.  My goal was to follow the High Divide trail over to a meadow above Heart Lake to photograph sunset on Mt. Olympus, then return back to camp with headlamp.

All went pretty much as planned, except the flowers aren't nearly as far along over this section.  Avalanche lilies still dominate this area.

I stuck around until about 20 minutes past sunset and then began my venture back to camp.  I really didn't need my headlamp as the half moon above provided plenty of light to see with.  I arrived back at camp around 10:30 pm, in time for some dinner and sleep.

My permit at Lunch Lake was actually for 2 nights so that I could return to the ridge a second night for photography.  But between feeling like I had done enough up there and rolling my ankle upon my return to camp the night before, I elected to pack it up and head back down the way I came.  Other adventures await!

More Information on this Trip Report

• http://www.mountainscenes.com