Monday, July 14, 2014

yes, this is my backyard


The Pacific Northwest continues to blow my mind - the dramatic scenery here just doesn't quit. You should have seen the sunset we caught over the Sound and the Olympics on our way home last night - it was so bright and glowing (and there was even a rainbow after the sun had set - new one for me), that people have been tweeting pictures and facebooking about it like crazy.

A mere 50 miles west of here is Olympic National Park, one of my long-time favorite places to hike and soak up the sights. What other national park has 60 miles of beaches with an intertidal zone bursting with life, AND an 8,000 foot mountain covered in an uber-thick glacier? And in between are towering green green rainforests, the only ones in the contiguous 48 states.

I've backpacked all over the Olympics, and one of the trails I have tried repeatedly is the Seven Lakes Basin loop. Mother Nature has always repelled me - driving rains, too much snow, high avalanche risk...you know, the stuff that makes for general misery. The last time I tried this hike, it snowed on me so much that I had to dig out my tent in the middle of the night every two hours. Fun.

Completing this hike has nearly become a vendetta between the park and me. So this weekend, my buddy Tristan and I decided to slay the dragon and complete the loop. It almost defeated me again - we were trying to hike the entire 20+ mile loop in one day, but a gargantuan navigation error on my part added another half-dozen miles and an extra-thousand feet of elevation to climb. We almost backtracked because we had no idea where the trail was, but a helpful ranger and a keen desire to check this stinkin' hike off the list kept us going. We emerged from the forest nearly broken, but victorious.

 We left the car at 5am and immediately started uphill. I think I took this picture at 6am - its amazing how bright it is in the summer so early in the morning!

Beyond that saddle is Mt Olympus topped with the Blue Glacier.

Still lots of snow...

Avalanche lillies dot the landscpae, looking like schizophrenic pinwheels.

 My hiking buddy for the day and good friend, Tristan.

Looking all the way up the Hoh Rainforest Valley.

Looks like a nice winter day, eh?

Our fatal navigation error at least took us down from the ridge to this lovely lake, where trout were swimming and Tristan contemplates a dip.

But there was no way out, so back we came out of the bowl - there I am huffing it back to the ridge.

The wildflowers were beautiful - these were some purple Indian Paintbrush, which are usually red or orange.

Back on the ridge, we got at least enjoy some more of the amazing views.

Leaving the ridge at the correct place brings you by Heart Lake - we saw a bear near here, too. The last time I saw this place was when I was digging out of the snow all night long.

These lillies were thriving on the forest floor.

The remaining piece of the hike is through six miles of deep forest along the Sol Duc River.

Perhaps not the most flattering picture of me, but it is a picture of a victorious me. I've tried to hike this trail one way or another for nearly 15 years.

Bonus shot: this gives you a little bit of an idea of what the sunset last night looked like behind our house. Not a great photo - took it with my iphone.But nonetheless, you get the point :)