TRAVERSING THE BAILEY RANGE Solitude and scenery on Olympic National Park’s premier high route By Karl Forsgaard Deep in the northern wilderness of Olympic Na- tional Park, the Bailey Range Traverse crosses high, scenic country with grand views of surrounding river valleys and peaks—including 7,965-foot Mount Olympus. At each end of the traverse you’ll find popular trails – the Sol Duc River, Seven Lakes Basin and High Divide in the west, the Elwha River in the east. Be- tween those trails are several days of cross-country travel, re- quiring route-finding skills and mountaineering skills above and beyond basic backpack- ing. Good rock, snow and ice scrambling skills are essential. Sometimes you have to earn solitude: The Bailey Range Traverse in the Olympics When Bill and I started the is a rigorous combination of off-trail hiking, climbing, and snow-and-ice travel. trip in late July 2002, the up- But the views and loneliness are the payoffs. per Seven Lakes Basin was still mostly snow-covered, but east of Heart Lake earlier, so we were just the second regulations (including party size limits) the High Divide Trail and the Bailey party of the year. We did not see any apply. route above the Hoh had almost en- people on the off-trail part of the Day One: tirely melted out, so we rarely needed route . to use our ice axes (except in a few The traverse route is described Sol Duc River, Deer Lake snowfingers in creek gullies), and we in Climber’s Guide to the Olympic We left Seattle in two cars, took the never needed to use the crampons, Mountains by Olympic Mountain Bainbridge Island ferry and drove to rope or climbing hardware that we Rescue (Mountaineers, 1988) and in Port Angeles. We got our wilderness brought. However, it would have been 75 Scrambles in Washington by Peggy permit and rented bear canisters from a different story if the traverse above Goldman (Mountaineers, 2001). For the National Park Service at the Heart the Hoh had been covered by steep the Seven Lakes, High Divide and of the Hills visitor center ($25 permit, snow, so always remember to be pre- Elwha River hikes at either end, see plus $6 donation for 2 canisters). We pared for roped snow travel, and make 100 Hikes in the South Cascades and drove east on 101 to the Elwha River sure you’re trained in self-arrest with Olympics by Ira Spring and Harvey entrance to the Park, dropped one an ice ax. Manning (Mountaineers, 1998), and/ car at the Whiskey Bend trailhead, In addition to our mountaineer- or Olympic Mountains Trail Guide returned to 101 and continued east ing gear, we brought the backpacking by Robert L. Wood (Mountaineers, past Lake Crescent, then re-entered gear and food we normally take on a 2000). At its Elwha end, you can take the Park on the Sol Duc Road. By week-long trip—tent, stove, books and either the long version (exiting via mid-afternoon we started hiking up camera. We had taken some friends to Dodwell-Rixon Pass, then hiking many the Sol Duc River, quickly reaching the top of Mount Olympus a few years miles on the Elwha or Quinault) or Sol Duc Falls, then left the river and earlier, so it was especially rewarding the short version (exiting via Dodger hiked uphill to Deer Lake. At Deer to have views of Mount Olympus for Point, less than a day’s hike along the Lake there were deer grazing (of most of our trip in the Bailey Range. Elwha). We opted for the short ver- course), a fogbank floating overhead, The Park Service told us that a solo sion. Because the route is in federally and mosquitoes. Deer Lake has sev- traveler had done the route a week designated wilderness, all wilderness eral campsites, and we picked a nice July 2005 WASHINGTON TRAILS THE BAILEY RANGE BAILEY RANGE TRAVERSE, OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK NATIONAL OLYMPIC BAILEY RANGE TRAVERSE, Route begins at Sol Duc Hot Springs trailhead and Maintained trail ends and adventure begins ascends to Deer Lake and Seven Lakes Basin. at the “Cat Walk” west of Cat Peak. Summits of Mount Carrie and Mount Ferry provide The route continues past Mount Pulitzer to headwaters 360-degree views to Mount Olympus, Strait of Juan of Elwha River. Or take shorter route via Ludden Peak and de Fuca, and scores of peaks. Dodger Point. Journey ends at Whiskey Bend. one with some privacy. The flowers included beargrass, heather, shooting star, elephant’s-head and lupine. Day Two: High Divide to Catwalk The sun poked through low clouds as we rose for breakfast. From Deer Lake the trail winds up through heather, tarns and flowers, and in about an hour reaches the ridge separating the Sol Duc and Bogachiel Left: Skill with crampons, ice ax and roped snow travel are essential to complete the Bailey Range Traverse. WASHINGTON TRAILS July 2005 THE BAILEY RANGE MORE ALPINE TRAVERSES Alpine traverses offer opportunities east via Chetwoot, Azure and Tank for solitude and mountaineering Lakes, meeting the East Fork Foss through some of the most remote Trail at Opal Lake in the Necklace reaches of the Cascades and Olym- Valley. Car shuttle required. Allow pics. These routes offer a satisfying 4 or more days. For hikes at either combination of hiking, orienteering end, see 100 Hikes in Washington’s and climbing. Alpine Lakes by Ira Spring, Vicky One of the most important things to Spring and Harvey Manning (Moun- remember about traverses is that all taineers, 2000). of these routes require routefinding Inspiration and mountaineering skills. Having experience in backpacking is not Glacier Traverse enough. Two of the routes below A high route in Ross Lake National require extensive glacier routefinding Recreation Area and North Cascades skills – picking your route through National Park. From Thunder Creek Unusual rock shard on the summit of crevasse fields – plus the training, Trail, south to Primus, Austera, Mount Ferry. On the Bailey, you’ll have skills and equipment (ice ax, rope, Klawatti and Eldorado Peaks (in- opportunities to reach the summits of crampons, rescue gear etc.) to cluding some Class 5 rock routes), numerous peaks. travel safely on glaciers and to rescue to North Fork Cascade River, with people from accidents. There are views of many other North Cascade watersheds. As we reached the High many unavoidable dangers such as peaks. Described as a 23-mile, Divide between the Sol Duc and Hoh avalanche and rockfall, and adverse 6-day route in Washington’s High- watersheds, the clouds melted away weather can change the route and est Mountains by Peggy Goldman and we had close-up views of Mount make escape difficult. (Wilderness Press, 2004). Begins with a “strenuous bushwhack” up Olympus almost continuously for the Classes can help prepare you for 4,000 feet. Extensive glacier travel, next few days. The High Divide Trail the rigors of alpine traverses. The requiring crevasse-rescue skills and leads close to the summit of Bogachiel Mountaineers’ Basic Climbing equipment. Car shuttle required. Peak (5,474 feet, Class 1), with a short course is a good start. The year- side trail to the actual summit where long course requires classes in we stopped for lunch, admiring the climbing, mountaineering first aid Ptarmigan Traverse views down into Seven Lakes Basin. (MOFA) and navigation—and you A classic high route in North Cas- Avalanche lilies bloomed along the must participate in a number of cades National Park and Glacier trail, which was still snow-covered in guided climbs before earning your Peak Wilderness. From Cascade many places. In mid-afternoon we certificate. For more information, Pass south to Downey Creek, with passed Heart Lake, and the last hikers visit www.mountaineers.org or call optional side trips to climb peaks we would see until the last day of the (206) 284-6310. trip. We continued east a couple hours including Magic, Mixup, Spider, to the end of the trail, scrambling up a Alpine Lakes Formidable, LeConte, Sentinel, Spire bit to a dry campsite on the west edge High Route Point and Dome. Some of the side of the Catwalk. trips can take an entire day, and This off-trail route in the Alpine Lakes some peaks require Class 5 rock Wilderness offers alpine basins with climbing. Extensive glacier travel, Day Three: high lakes, reached by cross-country requiring crevasse-rescue skills and travel through heather, brush (i.e., equipment. Car shuttle required. To Mount Carrie bushwhacking) and forest, with We woke to a clear blue sky, made Fred Beckey warns in Cascade Al- unsigned anglers’ paths in some pine Guide, Vol. 2 (Mountaineers, breakfast and took a side trip about an sections. It’s described in the trail hour uphill to the summit of Cat Peak 2003) “This is not a cross-country approaches section of Cascade hikers’ route. The traverse requires (5,940 feet, Class 1), with wide views. Alpine Guide, Vol. 1 by Fred Beckey After returning to camp and donning ice axes, crampons and rope; only (Mountaineers, 2000) as a route experienced climbers should at- full packs, we crossed the Catwalk, from Lake Dorothy south and then then past Boston Charlie’s Camp, tempt it.” . —K.F. July 2005 WASHINGTON TRAILS THE BAILEY RANGE site of a small pond. The boot-beaten entertained by a dipper patrolling the uphill almost to the summit of Mount climber’s path rises onto the mead- creek and lakeshore. Ferry, then descend eastward onto the owed slopes of Mount. Carrie, where Day Five: ridge leading toward Ludden.