At the close of an aggressive day of hiking, which brought along the ridge of Bogachiel Peak and its saddle with the High Divide, we reached the Olympus Ranger Station.  The views were incredible along this 14 mile trek that started in the valley of Canyon Creek then crossed the edge of Deer Lake.  With the unseasonably light rain, water levels were low throughout the park.  The bough along Deer Lake was, nevertheless, picturesque with natural floral bouquets and the frenzy of small animals.  

In all, the day yielded a 3000 foot assent and a rapid 4000 foot decent to the Hoh River valley.  The excessive weight of my pack left its mark during this aggressive hike.  The toll on my knees rang clearly towards the end of the day.  [I was carrying a full array of climbing protection and glacier hiking gear for a planned assent of Mount Olympus later in the week.  This along with fuel, water, foot, etc. made for a very heavy pack.]

At nine o'clock that evening we reached the Olympic Ranger Station.  Concerned about rain, we were especially delighted to find an incredible emergency shelter in the camp.  We were continuing to travel without a tent consequence an airline that lost a portion of our luggage.  The camp made its home along the edge of the Hoh River and provided a backdrop for a much needed day of recovery.  The ranger station, closed for the season, was a great place to relax in the shade and the views from the banks of the Hoh were ever refreshing and proved to be a great place to reflect on the simple things of life; the  mesmerizing rush of glacier waters ever flowing in the background.

More Photos...

 grays and torreys

 san gabriel mountains

copyright  (c) 2003  timothy griepp,  all rights reserved

email:  tim_griepp_webmail@creative-vision.org