Olympic National Park - Seven Lakes Basin
Last weekend two friends joined me for a three day backpacking trip in Olympic National Park in the Seven Lakes Basin area. Despite trying to trim ounces from the weight we were each carrying on our backs, we all brought our DSLRs a couple lenses and our gorilla pods.
The hike is a 20 mile loop that starts and ends at Sol Duc hot springs and climbs from 1,800' elevation to well over 5,000 providing views of the Pacific Ocean (40+ miles away) and Mount Olympus the highest peak in the park and a mountain that is only visible from within the park.
Just under a mile into the hike the first sight is Sol Duc falls.
but after Sol Duc falls the rest of the hike on day one was largely just long walk in the woods. Our first night was spent at Deer Lake; an easy 4 miles in.
After setting up camp, and making dinner, we decided to hike 2 miles to a high ridge at 5000' so we could watch the sun set over the Pacific (which was 40+ miles away). It made for some amazing views, the sort of scene that you know you will never be able to do justice to with a camera, but I still tried. After the sunset it was a long very dark 2 mile hike back to the camp site :rolleyes
Day two of the hike was much more grueling as we climbed from the lake we had camped at up to the High Divide trail that followed a high ridge for several miles. As we approached the true start of the High Divide we were greeted with this view of Mount Olympus.
Although Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in the park at nearly 8000' it is only visible from within the park, and for some of the best views you need to hike a ways. The High Divide trail is one one of those places where you are provided endless amazing views of the mountain as the trail follows a ridge line often with nothing between you and the Mountain on one side
And the Seven Lakes basin on the other side of the ridge
We had originally hoped to climb Mt Carrie (the large peak to the left) but it would have been an extra 8 hour hike and we weren't able to reserve a campsite near the start of the trail up to the top of Mt. Carrie.
Although we had been told to expect to see many bears (since the huckleberries were all over the place and ripe). We unfortunately never saw a single bear. In fact, other than birds, this marmot was the only wild life we saw on the hike.
Our second night was spent 8 miles away from our first night at a campsite called Sol Duc park. We were able to pick a spot right next to a little pond that was filled by a 8' waterfall where we got our water for the night.
Too tired to hike back up to the high ridge line from our campsite on night #2, we had to be content to photograph the suns glow against the surrounding mountains missing what was likely an amazing sunset :cry.
The hike out followed the Sol Duc river to the hot springs. The hike out didn't provide the kind of views that the high ridge had, but there were plenty of nameless waterfalls to photograph on the way out.
We finished our stay in the park by spending some time soaking in the hot springs before heading to the town of Port Angles for a cheese burger and a beer:D, then back home to Seattle.
I will definitely come back and do this hike again, as this is now my favorite hike inside Olympic National Park!
If your interested, here are the rest of the pictures from the trip.
The hike is a 20 mile loop that starts and ends at Sol Duc hot springs and climbs from 1,800' elevation to well over 5,000 providing views of the Pacific Ocean (40+ miles away) and Mount Olympus the highest peak in the park and a mountain that is only visible from within the park.
Just under a mile into the hike the first sight is Sol Duc falls.
but after Sol Duc falls the rest of the hike on day one was largely just long walk in the woods. Our first night was spent at Deer Lake; an easy 4 miles in.
After setting up camp, and making dinner, we decided to hike 2 miles to a high ridge at 5000' so we could watch the sun set over the Pacific (which was 40+ miles away). It made for some amazing views, the sort of scene that you know you will never be able to do justice to with a camera, but I still tried. After the sunset it was a long very dark 2 mile hike back to the camp site :rolleyes
Day two of the hike was much more grueling as we climbed from the lake we had camped at up to the High Divide trail that followed a high ridge for several miles. As we approached the true start of the High Divide we were greeted with this view of Mount Olympus.
Although Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in the park at nearly 8000' it is only visible from within the park, and for some of the best views you need to hike a ways. The High Divide trail is one one of those places where you are provided endless amazing views of the mountain as the trail follows a ridge line often with nothing between you and the Mountain on one side
And the Seven Lakes basin on the other side of the ridge
We had originally hoped to climb Mt Carrie (the large peak to the left) but it would have been an extra 8 hour hike and we weren't able to reserve a campsite near the start of the trail up to the top of Mt. Carrie.
Although we had been told to expect to see many bears (since the huckleberries were all over the place and ripe). We unfortunately never saw a single bear. In fact, other than birds, this marmot was the only wild life we saw on the hike.
Our second night was spent 8 miles away from our first night at a campsite called Sol Duc park. We were able to pick a spot right next to a little pond that was filled by a 8' waterfall where we got our water for the night.
Too tired to hike back up to the high ridge line from our campsite on night #2, we had to be content to photograph the suns glow against the surrounding mountains missing what was likely an amazing sunset :cry.
The hike out followed the Sol Duc river to the hot springs. The hike out didn't provide the kind of views that the high ridge had, but there were plenty of nameless waterfalls to photograph on the way out.
We finished our stay in the park by spending some time soaking in the hot springs before heading to the town of Port Angles for a cheese burger and a beer:D, then back home to Seattle.
I will definitely come back and do this hike again, as this is now my favorite hike inside Olympic National Park!
If your interested, here are the rest of the pictures from the trip.
Andrew
initialphotography.smugmug.com
"The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera" - Dorothea Lange
initialphotography.smugmug.com
"The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera" - Dorothea Lange
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Comments
Cuong
Thanks Cuong! Large portions of Olympic National Park are considered rain forests, and when ever you go hiking in that park, you need to be prepared to get very wet. We got lucky with 3 days of beautiful sunny weather.
initialphotography.smugmug.com
"The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera" - Dorothea Lange
Aaron Newman
Website:www.CapturingLightandEmotion.com
Facebook: Capturing Light and Emotion
www.alexdimson.com
Thanks, I try and make at least 1 hike in Olympic National Park annually...don't know of another park where you can spend days hiking on a beach and not see another human or so some serious mountaineering on a glaciated peak.
Thank you!
initialphotography.smugmug.com
"The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera" - Dorothea Lange
Thank you for sharing these
D40
18 - 55 kit lens
55- 200 VR kit lens
Lots of desires
Thank you.
No shortage of waterfalls in Olympic National Park, and luckily most of the ones we came upon had enough shade on them that I was able to slow down the shutter speed a bit.
initialphotography.smugmug.com
"The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera" - Dorothea Lange
I agree. Wonderful job Andrew!!
www.adamstravelphotography.com
Facebook
Thanks Adam!
initialphotography.smugmug.com
"The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera" - Dorothea Lange