BEWARE OF THE COUGAR

“YOU ARE IN COUGAR COUNTRY!”

If you meet a cougar:

· Don’t run; it may trigger a cougar’s attack instinct.

· Do not approach – back away slowly.

· Don’t turn your back or take your eyes off of it

· Fight back aggressively

· Cougars usually hunt at night for their primary prey

· Cougars are solitary except during mating.

- From Olympic National Park’s cougar information pamphlet.

And a few additional observations:

· Cougars are masters of camouflage. They use large quantities of make-up and other cosmetic “enhancements” to “blend in” with their surroundings. Their camouflage skills work best in dim lighting.

· Cougars are often found in their favorite habitats. These include shopping malls, night clubs, upscale neighborhood swimming pools, and hotel bars.

· If you come home with scratches on your back and bite marks on your neck, you better not tell your wife they’re from a cougar attack!

A cold morning resulted in a later start than expected. We had granola cereal for breakfast, loaded the bear canister and our packs, and broke camp. At 9:30 we drove two miles to the trailhead at the end of the road. There we hoisted our packs under sunny skies and walked up the trail into one of the most beautiful forests in the world.

The Sol Duc Valley is less famous than its neighbor to the south, the Hoh. Its trees may not be as big (although they are plenty big enough) and its vegetation may not be as dense, but I think it is every bit as spectacular. For me, hiking the Sol Duc Valley is like walking through a great cathedral. I always feel like I should whisper there, as if speaking in a normal voice is some sort of sacrilege.

We set an aggressive pace on the easy trail, and covered the first .8 mile to Sol Duc Falls in about 15 minutes. It was almost embarrassing, racing through such a grand forest so quickly. It felt something like jogging through The Louvre.

We paused at Sol Duc Falls to take in our surroundings and to check out the cataract. It’s an unusual waterfall, as the river splits into three streams before spilling sideways over tilted rock. The trail crosses a bridge just above the falls, providing an unusual perspective. I took a few photos from here and from upstream, but skipped making the tricky descent to the river downstream from the falls. I knew I’d have to wade the river to get a photo from the base, and I’d left my sandals behind in an effort to reduce my pack weight.

From the falls, we followed the trail out of the valley towards Deer Lake. It was a steady climb all the way to Canyon Creek, where another bridge spanned another waterfall. This waterfall is quite impressive, but it’s hard to get a good view of it. The forest is dense, and the walls of the gorge below the falls are nearly sheer. I searched for a place to descend. My first attempt left me at the brink of a cliff half way down. I tried again farther downstream. Here, it looked like it might be possible to use a “vegetable belay” (i.e. hanging onto roots, rocks, branches, trees, ferns, and anything else) to climb down the bank. I really didn’t want to kill myself on the first day of our trip though, so I decided to save it for another time.

From there, we resumed the climb. Another steady ascent brought us to Deer Lake at noon. We found a couple of benches on the lakeshore, which provided an excellent spot to eat lunch and enjoy the scenery. Deer Lake is lovely, although it’s well below treeline. It’s also a popular camping spot. We saw quite a few people here, after seeing hardly anyone on the way in.

From there, we climbed again, working our way up through meadows and open woods. We passed a number of small tarns, and feasted on Huckleberries as we went. It was a beautiful stretch of trail, but it was about to get better. Once we crested the High Divide, the views really opened up. To north we spotted several successive waves of mountains, culminating with distant peaks on Vancouver Island, in Canada. Back to the west we gazed out over miles of rain forest to the Pacific Ocean stretching across the horizon.

We headed up the ridge, continuing to climb. At each bend in the trail, a new vista presented itself. Initially we hiked through meadows and woods, high above the Bogachiel River Valley. Then, at another clearing, we were treated to our first view of Mount Olympus. The icy massif towered over us as we strolled along the divide.

After a leisurely stroll taking in the views, we reached a junction with the trail into the Seven Lakes Basin. We descended a steep rock staircase, enjoying views of Round Lake and Lunch Lake below. We finally reached the bottom and headed towards Lunch Lake to find a campsite. The area was pretty busy, as it is a popular backcountry destination. For one reason or another, we wandered beyond Lunch Lake, to the far end of the camping area. We finally arrived at site 11, which sits on a bench high above Clear Lake, looking out over the Sol Duc Valley. This site looked like a winner, so we settled in. It wasn’t until later that I realized that we were in the same site I’d camped at on my previous visit, back in 2002.

After setting up camp, I grabbed my collapsible bucket and walked over to Lunch Lake to get water. There I encountered a woman that was a bit older than me. It’s hard to say what her actual age was, thanks to the plastic surgery and her various other cosmetic modifications. I’m guessing she was in her mid-40’s, but I could be wrong. At any rate, she certainly was dressed nicely for someone on a multi-day backpacking trip. Over the next two days, we noticed that she had multiple color-coordinated outfits, including a tank top, shorts, pants, and jacket. The next morning, we actually spotted her wearing a matching mini-skirt. I failed to notice her footwear, so I can only hope she was wearing high heels.

Anyway, I endured a bit of flirting before I managed to escape with half a bucket of water. I returned to camp, and reported the incident to Brian.

Me: “Brian, you remember saying how we hadn’t seen any wildlife thus far?”

Brian: “Yeah?”

Me: “Well, I just had a cougar sighting down at the lake.”

Brian: “REALLY?!?”

<grin>

Me: “Why don’t you go refill the bucket and see for yourself.”

Brian returned a few minutes later wearing an amused smirk.

I made us a pasta dinner and cleaned up before sunset. At 6:30 I headed back over to the lake to catch the sunset from shore. Brian elected to stay behind and enjoy it from camp. As I departed, he warned me to watch out for cougars. I didn’t need to fear though. She was in her own campsite, where she had her claws in the ranger who was patrolling the area. I wasn’t sure if he needed to be rescued. He was a young guy, so I figured he’d manage one way or another.

I wandered down to the lake, but circled to the west side. My goal was a strategic location at the far end. I was hoping that the clear skies would provide some fine alpenglow on the peaks to the east. Alpenglow is tricky though, and it can be hard to predict where it will strike. On this occasion I was relatively lucky. Not long after I arrived, two peaks along the High Divide lit up in an orange glow. Unfortunately there was just enough of a breeze to create a ripple on the lake, which eliminated the perfect reflection I’d hoped for. Still, it was a great spot to end a fantastic day.

I returned to camp to find that Brian had enjoyed sunset as well. He’d been treated to alpenglow on the same peaks. While taking in the colors, he spotted a black bear browsing along the hillside a couple hundred yards away. He’d watched the bear for 20 minutes or so before it disappeared over the low divide leading to the Y Lakes to the east.

Brian went to bed early, but I stayed up to see the stars. It was worth it, as the sky was brilliant that night. I used my tripod to experiment with trying to photograph the Big Dipper and the Milky Way. I’m not sure how successful I was, but it was fun to try.

It was a warm evening, and neither of us slept well. Of course, that’s largely because we were sharing my small tent. Brian is a big guy. At 6’ 4”, he could touch both ends of the tent simultaneously. Our running joke is that I’m “fun-sized” and Brian is “super-sized”. Regardless, there wasn’t much wiggle room in the tent either night.

YOUR LATEST TRICK

We got up a bit after sunrise the next morning. Another cloudless morning promised more grand scenery waiting for us on the High Divide. Despite this, we had trouble getting motivated to leave. Lunch Lake is one of those places that’s hard to let go.

We broke camp at 9:30 and headed back up the staircase to the High Divide. This may have been the toughest part of the whole hike, as the steps are steep and grueling. Once on the crest we continued to climb, but the views took our minds off the difficulties of the trail. Initially we strolled along the south side of the ridge, with spectacular views of Mount Olympus leading us on. Then we crossed a pass to the north side and enjoyed more sublime views of the Seven Lakes Basin far below. Eventually we worked our way around the south side of Bogachiel Peak and passed the junction with the trail to Hoh River valley. From there we climbed back up to the ridge, before reaching a spur trail leading to the summit of Bogachiel Peak.

I had missed this summit on my previous visit, so it was a top priority today. Fortunately, the trail runs only a short distance below the peak, so the side trip doesn’t add much difficulty. We climbed up to the top, where we took in views in every direction. Although there are some trees around the summit, it’s easy to walk around and take in all the vistas. One intriguing aspect of the summit is that it’s possible to see three major river valleys (the Hoh, the Bogachiel, and the Sol Duc) from one spot. To the north the Seven Lakes Basin unfolds towards the Sol Duc Valley and Mount Appleton. Back to the south, Mount Olympus, Home of the Gods, towers over the Hoh rainforest. To the west we could just make out the Pacific Ocean, despite some smog on the horizon. Smog, on the Olympic Peninsula? I guess it’s just another Chinese import.

It was only 11am, but Brian was bonking thanks to our less than wholesome breakfast of instant oatmeal. I couldn’t imagine a finer lunch spot, so we spent an hour enjoying the scenery and wolfing down tuna, crackers, dried fruit, jerky, and gorp. We’d had Bogachiel Peak all to ourselves, but we knew that couldn’t last forever. Plus, we still had to hike all the way back down to the Sol Duc River to our campsite for the night. We reluctantly packed up and started down, passing a large group of teenagers along the way. It was a little startling seeing that many people after having such a quiet morning.

Once back at the trail, we climbed briefly back to the crest of the ridge. Here we found the ultimate lunch spot in a meadow. It offered clear views of Olympus and the Seven Lakes Basin, without any trees blocking the view. We actually paused there briefly, despite the fact that we’d only been hiking for 10 minutes. We knew we couldn’t loiter at every great vista if we wanted to finish the hike though. So we shuffled on and began our first real descent of the hike, after climbing for one and a half days.

Before long we passed the unmarked junction with the trail through the Y Lakes Basin. This route offers a nice shortcut to Lunch Lake, although the park doesn’t exactly advertise it. It’s a beautiful hike, but it really can’t compare to the High Divide. I don’t think there’s much danger of the Y Lakes Basin route being overrun any time soon.

From there we followed a roller-coaster ridge through meadows and scattered trees, now following the divide between the Sol Duc and the Hoh. We passed above more lovely alpine lakes, and Brian actually spotted another black bear far below, along the shore of one of them.

We pressed on, and shortly before the Heart Lake Junction, we reached the most breathtaking view of Mount Olympus of the whole trip. It was from a lovely meadow turned a brilliant red by a profuse explosion of Huckleberries. I stopped Brian there, and told him I was going to double-back to get a photo. I had just dropped my pack when Brian suggested that I might not want to do that. I looked up, and saw what he was referring to. A mama bear and her yearling were browsing through the meadow, less than 100 yards away. I quickly switched to a telephoto lens, but the yearling heard us and bolted down the hillside. Oddly, mama let him go and took her time browsing her way across the meadow. We watched her for a bit, and I attempted some photos. Unfortunately she had a habit of sticking to the shadows, so I’m not sure how much she’ll show up in those pictures. After a few minutes we began to realize that she seemed agitated by our presence. We didn’t want to stress her, so we packed up and shuffled on up the trail, alert for the presence of more bears along the way.

A few minutes later we reached the junction with the trail out the ridge to Cat Basin. The High Divide route descends to Heart Lake here, but it was still early afternoon, and I was curious to check out the Cat Walk. We headed that way, continuing to follow the ridge. This part of the High Divide is more wooded though, so the scenery was largely limited to views of Heart Lake below. Eventually we left Heart Lake behind, and began a gradual descent. We were beginning to have second thoughts when we reached a small clearing. Here we were treated to one final view of Mount Olympus, as well as the drainage of Cat Creek and Cat Peak and Mount Carrie ahead. A route traversing the Bailey Range continues ahead from here, but we’ll have to save that for another trip. On this day, we only had enough time for a short break to enjoy the view.

We backtracked to the High Divide Trail and headed down to Heart Lake. Along the way we passed two hikers who’d seen four bears near Heart Lake a few minutes earlier. We had our eyes open as we descended, but all we saw around the lake were other hikers. It seemed to be a very popular area, so we descended a bit before pausing to filter water from the stream draining Heart Lake. There we met Bart Smith, who was hiking the trail to research a new guidebook on the Pacific Northwest Trail. This new National Recreational Trail starts in Glacier National Park in Montana and heads west, before ending on the coast in Olympic National Park. He had started in Glacier in July, and had less than a week to go to finish his trek.

From there we made a long, tedious descent despite aching feet. We passed through more lovely meadows at Sol Duc Park, before dropping down into the forest in the upper Sol Duc River Valley. We passed several campsites before finally crossing a footbridge over the river. From there, we hiked downstream under a massive canopy of firs. At one point we passed a fallen tree. Apparently someone had counted all of the rings on the stump, because they had written “397” on it. The tree was ancient, as were many of the others surrounding it.

We passed two or three more campsites before finally arriving at our site at Rocky Creek. The site is small, and the tent spots aren’t great, but it’s hard to complain about camping in the gorgeous Sol Duc Valley alongside a tumbling stream. That evening, we dined on mac and cheese with ham and peas. Afterwards, Brian was sitting on a log filtering water out of my bucket when he pulled off an impressive feat. The log began to roll from underneath him, and suddenly he was somersaulting down the hill. After a couple of tumbles, he came to a stop, still holding the bucket upright. The log was now on top of him, but somehow he hadn’t spilled a drop. I wasn’t sure if I should applaud or lend a hand.

We retired early, despite another unusually warm evening. We both tossed and turned a lot that night, as it was really difficult getting comfortable in that tent spot. Occasionally I would slide forward, only to wake with my face pressed into the mesh of the tent. At other times I’d slide backwards into the clothes piled between my feet and the back of the tent. It was a rough night, but at least I didn’t have to get up to pee, despite the babbling brook in the background.

APPLE OF MY EYE

Brian and I parted ways the next morning. Originally I wanted to incorporate Appleton Pass into our hike. I had considered hitting it on a side trip from the river, but the 2000’ elevation gain from the valley to the pass made it pretty arduous for a side trip. We had even talked about starting the route from the Boulder Creek Trailhead, but we’d decided against a trip with two major climbs. On Tuesday night though, Brian had made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. He suggested that he could hike out the Sol Duc Valley to the car. Meanwhile, I could hike over Appleton Pass and down past Olympic Hot Springs to the Boulder Creek Trailhead. Brian would then drive around and pick me up. As much as I hated to miss out on the walk through the Sol Duc, the opportunity to hike a new trail was irresistible.

We got up fairly early and were on the trail by 8am. We hiked downstream a short distance to the junction with the Appleton Pass Trail. We went our separate ways there. Since Brian had an easy stroll ahead of him, he was kind enough to take the tent, bear canister, stove, pots, and fuel. I started up for the pass with a spring in my step under a much lighter load.

The climb was steady, but not steep. The worst part of the ascent was probably the spiderwebs. I must’ve hit one every 10 feet or so. It was a relief when, after climbing for 45 minutes, I passed a solo backpacker on his way down. I knew that meant the end of the cobwebs for the rest of the morning.

The climb was largely in the woods, but as I neared the pass, openings in the trees provided glimpses of the Sol Duc Valley, the High Divide, and Mount Olympus. These views were only a tease though. By the time I reached the pass, I was eager for more. At Appleton Pass, I found some nice views of Mount Appleton and the Boulder Creek Valley. The other side of the ridge was heavily wooded though, and the trees blocked all views of Mount Olympus. The ridge to the east offered a gentle ascent though, and I could see some open meadows up above the pass. It wasn’t even 9:30, so I was pretty sure I had time for a little exploration.

I headed up the ridge, passing a small pond and an assortment of campsites. Not far beyond the pond, I approached a talus slope on the north side of the ridge. There, I spotted another black bear, about 75 yards away. I managed a few distant photos, before the bear heard me and took off down into the Boulder Creek Valley below.

I continued on, climbing along the crest of the ridge. Eventually I reached the first meadows, and views began opening up to the south. The icy north face of Olympus began peeking through the scattered trees. Farther west, the glaciers on Mount Carrie caught my eye. Finally, one last meadow loomed ahead, and I had my destination.

I strolled into the meadow, and 7 or 8 Sooty Grouse burst into flight out of the grass. This was exciting, but the real thrill was the views all around me. I had heard mixed opinions of Appleton Pass prior to my hike, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. To say that I was pleasantly surprised would be a major understatement. In its own way, I found Appleton Pass (or more specifically, the ridge above it) to be every bit as satisfying as the High Divide. It probably didn’t hurt that I had it all to myself, either.

By this point, it was getting late. It was approaching 11am, and Brian was planning to meet me at the Boulder Creek trailhead around 2pm. I knew I had to hustle to make it back on time. I hurried back to the pass, and started down steep, tight switchbacks. Before long I began following Boulder Creek but continued to descend. Eventually meadows and open terrain gave way to woods. Finally I reached another set of switchbacks, and descended to a footbridge over Boulder Creek. Here I had to pause briefly to filter water. Once I resumed the hike, it was only a short distance to a signed side trail to Upper Boulder Creek Falls. Even though I was behind schedule, I couldn’t resist taking a few minutes to check it out.

The path led to the brink of a steep gorge, where I had a limited view of an impressive waterfall. I’d love to see this one from the base, but I didn’t see a safe way to descend. If I’d had more time I might’ve investigated further. Instead, I returned to the trail. A few minutes later I reached another spur trail, this time to Lower Boulder Creek Falls. This path led me to the base of the lower waterfall. This waterfall wasn’t nearly as tall as the upper falls, but it was still very pretty. I took a couple of quick photos before hurrying back to the trail and resuming the trek.

Another descent brought me to a creek crossing, where I was able to rock hop without much difficulty. Beyond here, I passed through another impressive old growth forest with large Firs. It wasn’t as magical as the Sol Duc, but it was pretty nice regardless. After a few more minutes, I reached a junction with the trail to Boulder Lake.

From here, it was just a short hike to the Boulder Creek Campsites. This is a nice camping area that features a small meadow and an Aspen grove. I followed an old road through the campground, but left it in favor of a switchback trail down to the creek. As I dropped, the smell of sulphur from the hot springs assaulted me. Once down at the creek, I arrived at the old road again. Here it continued ahead climbing, and also crossed the creek on a narrow bridge. I misread the map here, thinking that the route leading across the bridge was the way out. I headed that way, and passed a series of hot springs above the road. A couple of them were occupied with bathers, but for the most part the area seemed pretty quiet.

I continued up the road, passing numerous streams of water discolored by the sulphur and other minerals coming from the springs. Eventually the road ended, and I realized my navigational error. At this point, it was nearly 2pm, and I still had more than 2 miles to hike out. Oops.

I backtracked quickly. I crossed the bridge, and continued ahead. Eventually the road met the path from the campground. I set an aggressive pace, as walking on the old asphalt was easy. The only thing to slow me down was the occasional stream crossing. All of the original bridges have washed away, and now the side streams have footlogs, or require rock hopping. Despite these minor challenges, I made good time, and arrived at the trailhead parking area 50 minutes late. As luck would have it, Brian had arrived early, and was napping in the car when I arrived. I apologized for my tardiness, and we hit the road for home.

Brian also had an enjoyable hike out. The easy walk had offered a nice change of pace from the strenuous hikes on Monday and Tuesday. Plus, near Sol Duc Falls, he’d been treated to a major wildlife sighting of his own. He spotted a large Bull Roosevelt Elk in a sunny, ferny clearing in the forest. They had stared at each other for a few short minutes, before the Elk had wandered off. For Brian, it was one of the biggest highlights of an extremely enjoyable trip.

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