This is a short series on my backpacking trip on the High Divide and Seven Lakes Basin in Olympic National Park.
On Day 2, I was up and making breakfast at 5am in the dark. I had some Paleo Crack-lin’ No Bran and coconut milk powder which I supplemented with wild huckleberries around my camp.
I also collected the garbage that I had found around camp (some being easier to see in the dark with a headlamp) and added it to my bear canister for the rest of my trip.
Yay.
The day brightened quickly and I passed the rush of small waterfalls on Canyon Creek and campsite #3.
It wasn’t long before I arrived at Deer Lake, sometime around 6:45am. It was tranquil, I saw just one other person and they were gathering water for the day.
I was delighted to see a bright, new privy sign and decided to check it out. If you remember from my trip the year before, the privy had been less than ideal.
Wow, it was one of the most beautiful backcountry privies I have seen in a long time!
Check this out. This would make a stay at Deer Lake totally worth it.
I didn’t stay much longer and was soon climbing again towards the High Divide, passing the tarns that rest between Deer Lake and the ridge.
I hit the ridge about 8:30am and the cool shade of the forest.
Unlike last year, the views soon opened up around me as the trail snaked along the crest of the High Divide.
Love me some paintbrush.
A little after 9am, I entered the section of the trail that has seen some fault upheaval, the earth having shifted and buckled noticeably.
At 9:45am, I came to the junction for the Seven Lakes Basin and Lunch Lake. This was roughly 4 miles from my campsite this morning. There is a small landing area off to the side and I sat down for a few minutes and absorbed the views.
The trail then curved up over more of the upheaval area and a ridge that can take three points of contact.
And then you have this majestic panorama sprawled out before you. That is Round Lake on the left and Lunch Lake on the right. You can see a sliver of Clear Lake tucked behind and below Round Lake.
If you pause before the .5 mile descent, you can watch your fellow backpackers climbing up out of the basin and imagine yourself in the same boat on your own departure.
Looking up at the ridge as I dropped down.
I passed the map for the lake at 10:20am, just about the time I had wanted to arrive. At this point, anyone who had camped the night before was gone and I had it to myself.
Now to find a campsite. I checked out several areas but I was in search of a site on the far end that I had seen online where someone had hung their hammock. It had a view of the lake and butt up against a restoration area (trying to keep people from cutting down from the site to the trail below).
I hung my hammock and settled in.
A local stopped by briefly but wasn’t very chatty.
I then made my way down to the lake to enjoy the solitude before others arrived having hiked in from the trailhead (or Deer Lake I suppose).
It was disheartening to see folks were washing their dishes in the lake but it is par for the course at such a popular destination these days.
After a while, I took a hike over to Round Lake around 1pm to see what it had to offer. I didn’t realize it when making reservations but you can get permits to stay here. It doesn’t have a privy but could offer more privacy.
The lake had so many tadpoles!
I then headed back to camp at 2:30pm and lounged as the lake filled up with campers.
At 5pm, I decided to check out the trail that lead away from Lunch Lake to the east.
Clear Lake drops down .3 miles for more camping options, I opted not to check it out.
According to my map, a trail continued east and would eventually meet back up with the High Divide. Hmmm, what did that look like?
It did appear to be more of a social trail as it wound around a variety of small lakes. I wondered what this used to look like when these bodies of water were larger or perhaps one large one?
It reminded me of the terrain in the Enchantments, if not quite as sharp.
True to form, I just kept wandering.
Eventually though, it was time to head back to camp and make dinner.
Tonight was another easy, peasy. I tossed gari with dehydrated chicken, dried tomatoes, pine nuts and Italian spices. After rehydrated, I added olive oil.
About 7pm, I took one last trip to the privy which was down the trail from me and then enjoyed the sun setting on the surrounding peaks. I can see why this is one of Washington State’s 100 classic hikes and permits are highly sought after. I don’t know if I need to stay at Lunch Lake again but it was nice to experience it for myself.
My goal for Day 3 was to get up early so I could make the ascent out of the basin before the heat of the day. What will the rest of my hike on the High Divide bring? One hint, it involved an ascent of Bogachiel Peak and a naked swimmer.
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