With the changing fall colors, I wanted to return to Royal Basin to take in the scene. Last time we ran as much as we hiked but this time I went alone and spent a significant amount of time photographing the colors and the abundant small waterfalls and rushing creeks.

The road to the trailhead, FS 2870, received a much needed road grading (in fact, the grader was still operating and let us pass) so the road is in wonderful condition – any vehicle can make it easily.

The hike to Tunnel Creek showed up in my Strava feed, and with no firm plans for the weekend, off I went. The views looked nice and the hike wasn’t an elevation or distance killer so it wouldn’t consume the entire day. I also really love hiking along creeks & rivers to photograph baby waterfalls.

The smoke cleared so R. and I decided to return to Hurricane Ridge for a full-day loop of the Grand and Badger Valleys. I had last been to the area in 2013 so I was looking forward to a return trip and seeing some trails I had never covered or didn’t see because eight years ago we covered the trail in a complete fog whiteout.

R. and I had a three-day, two-night trip planned from Obstruction Point and through Grand Valley with two nights at Upper Cameron, an area of the Park I’ve never seen. Unfortunately we were hit with the double-whammy of an excessive heat warning and an air quality alert from forest fire smoke. We talked it over with a few Rangers at the WIC in Port Angeles and ultimately decided, after a few re-routing discussions, to cancel the trip and try another time when the conditions improved.

A tale of so many fronts: sun, fog, thicker fog, sun breaks. “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes” was never truer advice.

The upper meadow at Marmot Pass is one of my favorite locations in the Olympics having hiked there a few times. The WTA reports suggested the wildflowers were in bloom – perfect!

A nice morning loop around Icicle Creek with a variety of forest, hill, and water views.

We go to the trail early (7:30 am) mid-week to plenty of parking. The trail to Eightmile Lake starts through a burn from 2017 resulting in little cover from the sun and a lot of shrubby new growth. Fortunately the views along the trail are plentiful from the start and the grade wasn’t too bad for our mixed-skills hiking party.

With record breaking heat descending on the PNW, I sought relief in the mountains and took advantage of the snow melt to photograph wildflowers. I really enjoyed this loop and until recently it was not on my radar; nor others apparently because very few trip reports were available at the WTA.