High Divide Backpack

Friday July 28, 2017 to Sunday July 30, 2017

If you visit Olympic National Park and hope to backpack you must do this hike. The first day takes some work. Every step is worth it. Two miles of hiking along the High Divide give a non-stop view of the beautiful Olympic Range. Gorgeous alpine lakes dot the basins that sit below the summits and wild flowers bloom everywhere. Sol Duc Falls crash at the very beginning of this hike to make it a start to finish joy ride. This hike can be done in one night, or even a day for runners, but hikers will miss out if they don't take there time. Put simply, this is one of my absolute favorite hikes and possibly the best I've done.

This hike was at the top of my list for my voyage to Olympic National Park. I originally planned my trip for late June, but pushed it back one month after speaking to a park ranger who told me I should come equipped with mountaineering equipment to deal with the lingering snow fields on the High Divide for that time. I also did not plan ahead enough to properly reserve campsites in advance for this hike and was lucky to obtain a permit to stay two nights along this stunning hike.

Day 1 - 9.3 miles - 7 hours, 5 minutes

I started the hike at Sol Duc Trailhead and through the lowland forests I was introduced to the day before with giant trees and lush undergrowth. After three quarters of a mile I reached the beautiful and powerful Sol Duc Falls. This is a popular sight for park visitors and for good reason. A bridge crosses just below the falls where I was able to get a great view.

From here it took me a minute to find Deer Lake Trail. Once I did I crossed a bridge, left the crowds behind, and began my climb. The trail rose steeply and followed the high bank of Canyon Creek which was visible on and off. I absolutely loved these sections of wooded trail.

After plenty of work over 3.3 miles I reached Deer Lake. The beautiful, serene little lake had grass marshes lining some of the shores. It felt very welcoming. I found a rock along the shore and soaked in its scenery while eating my lunch. After forty five minutes, I peeled myself away to continue my hike, after all, I wasn’t even halfway done with my mileage.

The grade eased for the next third of a mile or so. I passed a lovely little marsh shortly after Deer Lake and enjoyed some more hiking through the forest. About a mile after Deer Lake the scenery opened up to some magnificent montane meadows. It reminded me of skiing the terrain of the high slopes of Breckenridge, Colorado. The tall trees rose centennial amid the grasses and heather blossoms.

From this point on, the scenery was wide open. After every turn, a new, unique vista welcomed me. This occurred about every half mile. Melted snow fields also left the landscape dotted with ponds. I encountered small fields of snow. So late in the season and only at an elevation of around 4000’, it was evidence of just how much precipitation this park gets. At one point I got the wonderful idea to fill my water filter with some snow to refresh me on this warm summer climb.

The wildflowers began lining the trail along the slopes. The mountains began to lose some of their greenery as rock slides also composed much of the hillsides. At some point along this climb I came to an intersection with a sign. I cannot recall, but I believe it said something about the Seven Lakes Basin. This was actually the correct turn for the Lunch Lake campsites, but for whatever reason I ignored it and thought my overnight destination lied ahead.

Perhaps I was distracted by the sights because they continued to improve. I reached a col where I left one amazing vista for the best one of the entire trip when I looked south at the Olympic massif and accompanying snow covered ridge. Once I returned to earth from this heavenly scene, I realized that if I reached this view I passed my campsite by a mile. After enjoying the fruits of my mistake I retraced my steps to the intersection I ignored earlier.

I turned north off the trail to descend into the Seven Lakes Basin. Less than a quarter mile after the intersection the trail made a sharp left turn at where I stopped for a terrific view of Lunch Lake. I continued to stare at my destination as I made my way down the open slope. Some stone stairs aided during parts of the descent.

Over a dozen sites are scattered around the lake and eventually I found mine. My only gripe with the day was when I tried to sit and eat my only hot meal of the day and was harassed by mosquitos to the point that I ate in my tent (definitely not the most bear-safe option). Other than being annoyed by insects for a moment, this had been one of my favorite days of hiking and remains so years later.

Day 2 - 8.1 miles - 5 hours, 55 minutes

Lunch Lake was a serene place to welcome the day. I was jealous, but a bit scared, when my camp neighbor told me she awoke to a black bear just outside her tent. It served as a reminder to keep proper camp hygiene. I climbed out the way I came and relived the beautiful mile of hiking from the day before, and in a brand new morning light. I passed a family of deer downslope taking their time starting their day. At one point I was able to gaze north to see the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Canadian shore. The most surprising part of the hike was the bounty of color gifted by the abundant wildflowers. Yellow, white, and purple stretched up and down the slopes and along the path.

Eventually I returned to the vista of the Olympic massif. At this point there was an option to climb Bogachiel Peak for views of the Seven Lakes Basin. I took an alternate detour down to Hoh Lake at the recomendation of a hiker who emphatically described it as her favorite place. Since I knew I’d be retracting my steps I set my pack off trail and descended a mile and a quarter to the lake. It turned out to be well worth it. I enjoyed its turquoise water surrounded by steep slopes without another soul in sight.

I turned back and made my way up to the High Divide trail after enjoying views of the Hoh Creek valley. The next two miles of trail offered breathtaking vistas as I repeatedly looked south to the glacier capped Olympic Range. The trail oscillated betweeen the north and south sides of the ridge. To the North I peered down into the Seven Lakes Basin and its snow-spotted meadows. The wildflower fields extended even further and expanded to an even broader spectrum of colors during this portion of the hike (check out the tall video below for the full effect).

After two of the most scenic miles I could have ever imagined, I bid farewell to the Olympic Ridge and turned left to descend toward Heart Lake. It's impossible to miss due to its shape. It was the last of the mountain lakes for this hike, and the forest tree cover gradually returned.

The trail followed Bridge Creek on and off. It has a few small cascades not long after Heart Lake. A couple beautiful, but uneventful miles later I reached my single campsite at Lower Bridge Creek off the left of the trail. After a short side trail through wet ground I reached a clearing under some trees and besides a small stream. After setting up camp I hung my hammock along the stream’s bank and enjoyed the tranquility of my private camping location. I had the added luxury of escaping to an even further realm, Hogwarts, while reading Harry Potter.

Day 3 - 5.6 miles - 3 hours, 43 minutes

The night had been my first ever sleeping in such a solitary location so far from another person and I occasionally roused convinced a bear was rummaging through my supplies. Fortunately, it had only been figments of my imagination and I awoke to an untouched campsite. I knew I only had six miles of hiking and all of them were downhill so I took my time in the morning and returned to my hammock and Hogwarts. I would have stayed for the better part of the morning if it were not for about a half-dozen unwanted visitors.

I first spotted them crossing the stream about a hundred feet away and the hundred pound mountain goats crept closer and closer to my camp. I had read that they could be a bit of a nuisance and didn’t feel the need to test them. I yelled at them in the hopes they would leave me alone, but I don’t think I was overly intimidating while laying in my hammock. After about a half hour in their presence, I gave way and began my day’s hike.

The entire trail followed the Sol Duc River and various cascades were draped in the forest greenery. I really took my time making my way down and stopped at a handful of the beautiful spots along the river. Eventually I completed the loop and returned to Sol Duc Falls. The strong falls warranted one more rest and observation before the final half mile back to my car.

I was in no rush to leave the area and was lucky to find an available campsite at Sol Duc Campground. I had planned to relax at the hot springs, but was a bit disappointed that it looked like a crowded city pool. On the bright side the camp store at springs sold beer and I brought a six pack back to my campsite where I hung my hammock and enjoyed each one.

An added bonus of this campsite (sorry I cannot recall which number site) was a fallen tree whose trunk led me to another beautiful spot, watch the video below. For the rest of the trip whenever I saw a tree fallen across a trail I hopped up and followed it as far as it would take me, which could be quite a distance due to their immensity. I was able to truly relax this evening with fresh memories of possibly the best hike of my life and the prospect of many more in the next week in this magical park.