Category: Backpacking

Mt Olympus from the High Divide

Mt Olympus from the High Divide

I enjoy taking my photographs and using them as a starting point for other art forms. I have done colored pencil images and line drawings, mostly. While experimenting with various tools in Photoshop, I found an Edge Detect tool that I like a lot. This image is a combination of Edge Detect and hand drawn edge enhancement (for instance, along the ridgelines). Below is the original image looking across the Hoh River valley to Mt Olympus from the High Divide trail … from a campsite on the eastern edge of the trail near Heart Lake. We had a spectacular sunset and a great sunrise to wake to.

Mt Olympus from High Divide
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Hike to Heart Lake

Trail to Heart Lake

One of the most heavily hiked trails in the Olympic National Park is the High Divide trail. The High Divide is a section of the ridge between the Sol Duc and Hoh Rivers. Overnight reservation permits are required and get booked up months in advance.

The first section of the High Divide loop follows the Sol Duc River Trail and then heads up along Bridge Creek (which is not easily accessible at most locations). The image above shows the trail climbing from Sol Duc Park to Heart Lake (shown below). I have hiked the trail to Heart Lake several times without continuing along the rest of the High Divide loop. The reasons to do so usually involve weather … or, early in the season) lots of snow left on the ridgeline.

Looking down on Heart Lake
Stream feeding Bridge Creek on the climb to Heart Lake

The trail to Heart Lake climbs up into and through some of the finest samples of mountain meadows in the Olympics. (see above) There are many small streams, keeping the flowers well watered and providing a water source for thirsty hikers.

On the return, it is worth the short side trip to Sol Duc Falls (shown below).

Sol Duc Falls
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Upstream – Downstream

Upstream from the Bridge at Six Stream

These two photos are taken from the middle of the bridge across the North Fork Skokomish at Six Stream, which comes into the North Fork just south of the bridge. The bridge is just about 6 miles up the North Fork Skokomish trail …

The Six Ridge trailhead is just at the upper end of the bridge … and that trail is one of the most rugged, least traveled and least maintained in the Olympic National Park. One that I have contemplated hiking in the past, but never got around to. (that’s what happens when you have a full time job)

Downstream from the Bridge at Six Stream
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Madeline Creek

Madeline Creek

Madeline Creek is a tributary of the North Fork Skokomish river in the Olympic National Park. It’s pretty typical of small creeks in this area… clogged with logs and such. The shadows and hiding areas provided by the logs and such are great for providing hiding areas for small fish and other water critters.

Also notice the ferns growing on the face of the rock on the right stream bank. That’s also typical of the area.

I took this from a nice bridge only a couple years old … and only one tree had crashed into it, so far. (see below)

Madeline Creek Bridge
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Before/After Single Stringer Bridge

The Old Bridge

I have often posted images of the trail up the North Fork Skokomish … or showed images of the area. I was going through photos and found this nice pair of photos about 5 miles up the trail, where it crosses a small creek. A National Park crew was installing a new bridge. With hand rails on BOTH sides! Quite nice.

The New Bridge
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