2012 Summer Olympics

I admit that Mel and I are almost obnoxiously busy. We've adopted the "weekend warrior" mentality of putting in our 40 hours, punching the clock and hitting the road, returning on Sunday night (or Monday morning) not even remotely rested or prepared for another week of work. It's pretty typical for our weekends to be booked up for a month or two in advance, and our vactions to be planned out a year or two in advance. With all this stuff going on, it's hard not to take for granted what we are doing, or to get "desensitized" to some of the amazing places we are seeing.

Then there was our latest trip to the Olympics, so obviously a cut above our usual weekend jaunts that it makes them seem trivial by comparison. We followed a route known as the "Bailey Traverse", which is an on/off trail traverse of the park from the north side (Solduc) to the SW side (Quinnault). Somehow this "route" manages to squeeze spectacular old growth rainforest, alpine meadows, scrambling, bushwacking, glaciers, lakes, knife edge ridges, and wildlife into roughly 55 miles of the most beautiful terrain I've ever seen. Believe it or not, I am comfortable in saying that this trip was the best I've ever been on.  Thanks to Mel, Chris, and Amy for being there to share it.

"Spectacular Old Growth"

Heart Lake

"Spectacular Alpine Meadows"

Our route for the next 4 days traversed across the crest of this mt. range.

Mount Olympus was center stage for the majority of the trip

Steep (and sometimes dangerous) traversing characterized the second day of the trip

Traversing the easy but consequential "catwalk" with the Hoh River drainage behind

More of the "catwalk"

One of the many gullies we had to cross... Some were more consequential that photos indicate

Amazing "Eleven Bull Basin"

My new favorite place

Wow... Freaking wow. 

Every night clouds would roll up the valleys, usually obscuring our view of Olympus right at sunset.

Chris took this pic of the only bear we saw.  It was a mixed blessing, I was happy with just the one. :)

Lake Billy Everett

Did I mention "spectacular alpine meadows"?

Camp in Ferry Basin

This night we got some views before it go dark.

Looking down on our Ferry camp on a cold morning

View of Olympus and the Hoh Glacier

Our mtn. goat sighting (photo credit Chris)

The famed "Lone Tree" of Lone Tree Pass

More scrambling. 

The Bear Pass Glacier

Pretty awesome to wander around by this much clean snow in September... :)

Pretty easy to stand there all slack-jawed, blown away by the 360 degree views.

Olympus and the Humes Glacier from our last campspot high on the traverse.

Wandering down to Dodwell-Rixon Pass, knowing were getting the last views of Olympus.

Stream crossing on our second to last day.  Still had about 20 miles to go at this point. 

After the trip we ritualistically burned our stanky clothing, grabbed some beer and went for a walk at La Push

Sunset over Lake Quinnault, where we stayed on our last night before Chris and Amy flew back to CA.