High Divide

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Sugar Pine
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Joined: April 28th, 2017, 12:23 pm

High Divide

Post by Sugar Pine » September 28th, 2022, 3:24 pm

Completed a three-day backpack along the High Divide / Seven Lakes area of Olympic National Park. We started at Sol Duc Trailhead and headed toward Deer Lake, on a counterclockwise loop.
Bear.JPG
Bear in meadow above Deer Lake
We camped at Lunch Lake, which fortunately limits the number of campers, as most sites were full by the time we arrived. Awesome sunrise and sunset.
Lunch Lake Setting.jpg
Hiking out of Seven Lakes Basin
Sunrise 2.JPG
Sunrise from Lunch Lake camp
The views from the High Divide were amazing. Huckleberry bushes were sporting their fall colors.
Mt Olympus.jpg
View of Mt Olympus from High Divide
High Divide 7 Lakes.JPG
Seven Lakes Basin and Sol Duc drainage
Heart Lake.JPG
Heart Lake
A side trip up Bogachiel Peak was well worth the short climb. The view down to Ho Lake from a short side hike along the ridge was obscured by trees.
We camped the second night at Sol Duc Park.
The forest up Canyon Creek and along the Sol Duc River was lovely, but the highlights were fall-colored meadows and fantastic views along the High Divide.

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retired jerry
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Re: High Divide

Post by retired jerry » September 29th, 2022, 5:43 am

I did high divide years ago. My only complaint is that too many other people know about the spectacular views so it's crowded

Do you still have to reserve specific sites for specific nights?

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Sugar Pine
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Re: High Divide

Post by Sugar Pine » September 29th, 2022, 2:39 pm

Yes, you have to reserve the specific campsites for specific nights on recreation.gov. Many of the backcountry camps in Olympic National Park show 99+ openings on recreation.gov, essentially unlimited. But all the camps in the Sol Duc area have a limited number of permits, looks like 6 - 28 depending on the camp. Most of the sites at Lunch Lake were taken, but I didn't feel the area was too crowded while we were hiking or camping.

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retired jerry
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Re: High Divide

Post by retired jerry » September 29th, 2022, 3:02 pm

I would rather decide at the moment, which site to camp, depending on my whim or quality of that site when I see it.

But High Divide is pretty spectacular and I can see why they do that because it's so crowded.

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drm
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Re: High Divide

Post by drm » September 30th, 2022, 5:50 am

When they moved the reservations on to the web, they used the 99 available for locations that previously were not restricted. I guess the web system was not designed to actually have no limitation. Additionally in those areas, you do not actually have to camp at one of the established locations, you can choose any appropriate place. Most of Olympic National Park has no restrictions, which are mostly limited to the north end, with only very few such places in the south end of the park.

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