Mount Olympus/Traverse

Completed this route between 7-24-2014 and 7-27-2014. Our GPS showed this round trip covering 46 miles. The 17 miles from the parking lot to the Glacier Meadows was in fantastic condition. It is no longer necessary to bypass a landslide section between Elk Lake and Glacier Meadows by descending a rope ladder. There is a trail across the top of the slide area now. We followed the standard route down the lateral moraine, across the lower Blue Glacier, up the Snow Dome, South through Crystal Pass and then West to the saddle between 5 Fingers and the West Peak. Care was needed crossing the Blue by headlamp, as some of the crevasses are bridged with soft snow. Staying on hard ice avoided these hazards. The reso of the route was in good shape with an obvious boot pack. Could not access the "scramble" route to the summit block, as there was a significant moat and thin snow finger to navigate. We ascended and descended via the moderate rock climb variations. We carried a small rack of stoppers to 2". A spectacular expedition for those who have some time to spare.