Backpack - Hoh River to Glacier Meadows

Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center, ready to hike at 9:30am.

This trip had to be cancelled due to COVID exposure.  :-(

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The objective of this trip will be to spend as much time as possible gazing at the Blue Glacier and Mt. Olympus (see photo at upper right as well pictures here and here).  During the first two days we'll hike the full length of the Hoh River Trail up to the Glacier Meadows group camp.  From there we'll explore the full lengths of the Terminal Moraine Trail and the Lateral Moraine Trail, the two trails that lead from Glacier Meadows to the Blue Glacier itself.  This is the same route that climbers use to cross the glacier and reach the summit Mt. Olympus, so we should be able to get very close to the glacier, though we'll go no closer than can be done safely.

Because our goal is to maximize our time at the end of the trail, our hike along the trail will be "goal oriented".  We'll start early, and the emphasis will be on covering miles.  Once we arrive at Glacier Meadows the tone of the trip will change.  Having arrived at our destination, our goal will be to enjoy being there. After setting up camp, we will most likely start exploring the moraine trails, though that will depend on conditions and the mood of the group.  We'll linger at Glacier Meadows the following morning too, most likely leaving late morning or even lunch time in order to spend as much time at high camp as we can.  We'll arrive at camp later than usual that day, but hopefully it will have been worth it.

Photographers are welcome provided you are able to keep pace with the group given the additional weight of your kit.  The leader plans to bring a camera and be up at the glacier for sunset and sunrise. We'll need to stay together at least in pairs while outside camp, and we'll use radios to stay connected.

Itinerary

• Friday: Leave the Hoh River Trailhead at 10am.  Hike to Lewis Meadows Group Camp - 10.5 miles and 400'.  A long day in terms of mileage but pretty flat.
• Saturday: Get an early start and hike from Lewis Meadows Group Camp to Glacier Meadows Group Camp - 6.3 miles and 3300' including a brief ladder descent (see below).  Explore glacier trails during the remainder of the day.  A strenuous crux day.
• Sunday: Linger at camp and around the glacier until late morning.  Descend to Olympus Guard Station Group Camp - 7.8 miles and -3400', including brief ladder ascent.  A long day but mostly down hill.
• Monday: Olympus Guard Station to Trailhead - 9 miles and -350'.

Sunrise will be about 5:40am and sunset about 9:00pm.

Special Considerations

• The Lateral Moraine and Terminal Moraine trails are primitive trails (picture).  They are well documented and appear on all the major maps, but they are not as well developed as primary trails.  We'll explore them as far as we can while staying within the boundaries of a Mountaineers hike/backpack.  We will not venture into scrambling or climbing terrain.
• Conditioning is key.  Our goal will be to maintain a moving pace of at least 2mph on the flat days, and a vertical pace of about 800' per hour on the steep days.  These are modest numbers for a day hike but are harder to maintain day after day while carrying an overnight pack.
• There is a significant trail washout that requires descending/ascending a set of temporary stairs similar to a rope ladder.  For details see the NPS trail description and this picture on flickr.  People traverse the ladder without incident every day, but if you are averse to modest exposure this may not be a good trip for you.
• The route starts and ends on the west side of the Olympic Peninsula.  Depending on where you are coming from, the drive to the trailhead could take 4 hours or longer and could involve a ferry trip.  Please take this into consideration when planning when to leave.  Our meeting time of 10am leaves open the possibility of traveling to the trailhead on the morning of the trip, but you may want to consider staying near the trailhead the night before.
• We may need to carry bear canisters.  All of the camps we'll be staying at have bear wires, but if any are broken then we'll need to carry canisters.  Unfortunately we won't know the status of the bear wires until a few days before the trip, so we need to be prepared just in case.
• Participants will be asked to kindly reimburse the leader $30 each for the price of the backcountry permits.
• The trailhead is inside Olympic National Park.  You'll need to pay the entrance fee or have a National Park Pass or similar.

Leader Permission

Leader permission is required for this trip.  Please include the following formation.

1. A few examples of multi-night trip experience within the last 2 -3 years.  If these were Mountaineers trips, it's OK to simply reference your online Activity History.
2. Your plan to be in condition for this trip by the end of July.  (Probably none of us are in condition yet, so no worries about not being totally in shape today.)

Covid Considerations

Depending on whatever COVID guidance is in place in July, this trip is tentatively expected to require: 1) full COVID vax and booster, and 2) a negative at-home test immediately before the trip.  Details TBD as the date of the trip approaches.

Negative at-home test results are not yet common but will likely be by July.  Because this is a 4-day trip we want to reduce the likelihood that we will need to abort because of someone falling ill mid-trip, hence the desire for a negative at-home test before we leave.

Photo credit: Allen White.  Thanks, Allen!