Backpack - O'Neil Pass, Anderson Pass & LaCrosse Pass Loop

Staircase Rapids Trailhead (https://goo.gl/maps/SGQsyFzc2s7QvFeC9)

Saturday July 17th at 9am

Rain or shine

This is a challenging 4-day backpacking trip, with significant mileage and elevation gain every day.

Participants should be in excellent physical condition, and must be comfortable with varied trail conditions.  We will encounter blowdowns, river crossings, and sections potentially requiring microspikes.

Snowpack in the Olympics is 30% above normal this year, so there is a reasonable chance that the area will not be adequately melted out by our departure date.  In this situation, we have two options: (i) select an alternate itinerary offering similar mileage/gain, or (ii) delay the trip by 5 days, so that we start Thursday July 22nd and finish Sunday July 25th.

We'll be hiking at a decent pace (2 mph), with breaks for food and pictures.  Given the mileage that must be covered each day, however, we will keep an eye on the time and not be overly leisurely.

Given the challenging nature of this trip, leader's permission is required.  In your request, please detail recent trips you've taken that have prepared you for the mileage and gain of this trip.  I personally wouldn't do this trip unless I had already successfully completed multiple backpacking trips this season, with at least one of the trips being a 3+ day trip with each day averaging 12 miles / 3000' gain or more.  Since that's what I would expect of myself, that's the level of recent experience I'm expecting this trip's participants to have.

Itinerary:

On day 1, we'll meet at the Staircase Rapids trailhead, hike along the North Fork Skokomish River, and over First Divide.  We'll spend the night at Upper Duckabush Camp.  14.5 miles, 5460' gain.  Gaia GPS route detailing day 1: https://www.gaiagps.com/public/ARcsBVkHc8cbdl0kBGNJdymE

On day 2, we'll start clockwise around the "Lollipop", ascending both O'Neil and Anderson passes.  We'll spend the night at Honeymoon Meadows camp.  14.3 miles, 6250' gain.  Gaia GPS route detailing day 2: https://www.gaiagps.com/public/KbFJObpdAkBVG9yi71YGXDwk

On day 3, we'll continue clockwise around the "Lollipop", ascending LaCrosse pass and continuing past Upper Duckabush Camp (where we spent night 1).  We'll spend the night alongside scenic Marmot Lake.  10.7 miles, 4630' gain.  Gaia GPS route detailing day 3: https://www.gaiagps.com/public/Lo7LoCQZXLqQXuaDF5EtIL5h

On day 3, after we've set up camp at Marmot Lake Camp, we'll have an optional day hike to Hart Lake and Lake Lacrosse.  3 miles, 900' gain.  Gaia GPS route detailing optional day 3 day hike: https://www.gaiagps.com/public/FZBksIteY2YLcDNJndcoLVue

On day 4, we'll reverse direction, briefly traveling counter-clockwise to return to the Lollipop's handle.  We'll go over First Divide a second time as we hike along the North Fork Skokomish River to return to Staircase Rapids trailhead.  17.4 miles, 4000' gain.  Gaia GPS route detailing day 4: https://www.gaiagps.com/public/q83e7LaIrNFtiXy5XYqQlHRg