Grand Valley/Badger Valley Loop The Grand Valley trailhead is at the end of the Obstruction Point Road, which begins at the east end of the parking lot at the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center near Port Angeles in Olympic National Park. The trail begins high, at about 6100’, and follows the top of Lillian Ridge for about a mile and half to the high point at about 6500 feet. On the day I walked this route I could hear coyotes yipping and howling on the slope below me, and when I passed a family party about five minutes later they said they’d seen a coyote pup cross over the top of the ridge. From the high point the trail drops fast to the Grand Lake trail junction at 3.7 miles and about 4950 feet. Moose Lake, Gladys Lake, and Grand Pass are further up the trail. The Ranger Station and a few designated camp sites are at Moose Lake. Grand Lake, where I stayed, has five designated sites on the south side of the lake, and one or two on the west side. The high point of Grand Lake for me was the very cool but still low tech bear wire. After all the publicity about bear problems last year, Olympic National Park is getting more serious about prevention. Parties of four or more are now required to carry one of the new bear-proof food canisters. There’s nothing really special about Grand Valley, but you do get some nice views on the walk along the top of Lillian Ridge. I highly recommend walking back out via Badger Valley. This is a bit counter-intuitive because you have to drop 710’ before climbing back up about 2100’ to the trailhead at Obstruction Point; but if the weather is good, don’t hesitate. Get an early start so you can climb out before it gets too hot, but look forward to great scenery on the way up. This is one of the nicest meadow walks I’ve been on, right up there with Spray Park and Sahale Arm. There is a scary log crossing of Grand Creek near the bottom of the descent out of Grand Lake. The Park Service has flattened off the top of a log, but the flat spot isn’t wide, the log is fairly high, and there’s no handrail. At about a third of a mile past the low point you’ll start to break out into meadows. The views will get better and better as you climb. You’re looking down Grand Creek toward its junction with the Gray Worf River and Cameron Creek. Right at the top, maybe three hundred yards from the trailhead, there is a very nasty, steep snowfield to cross. It may be gone in a few weeks, but right now it’s pretty scary.

Started out on the trail from Observation Pt at noon on friday. Sky was clear and wind was blowing hard on the ridge. There are just a couple small patches of snow on the ridge. The view of the Olympic range was perfect. The flowers are in full bloom now and it is the perfect time to go.

The 22 switchbacks down into the valley are quite steep but once you see the meadows exploding with myriads of brilliant hues and crystal clear waters of Grand lake it makes it seem not too bad.

The first night at Grand Lake was very enjoyable. We watched a few guys fly fishing for brook trout and doing well. On the way out we talked to them and they said they managed to catch (and release) about 30 trout. The mosquitos at the lake are a minor annoyance but the OFF! worked rather well. There are only about 6 tent sites and registering at the ranger station near Pt. Angeles is required. It cost $13 for two nights plus the $10 park entrance fee. Make sure you use the new bear wire near the toilets.

The downside at grand lake were the annoying deer. They will try to steal anything they can. I even saw one munch on a hat it stole from a campsite (for the salt'). They worst part was being startled by a deer that tried to eat me as I slept in my bivy sack! After yelling at it a second time it decided I was not edible.

The second day we hiked to Gladys Lake. A small lake with only four camp sites. No deer and not much of a mosquito problem. There is still a fair amount of snow as you ascend toward the pass or other ridges but probably will be gone in three weeks. You can still travel within a 1/4 mile of the pass without going into significant amounts of snow.

On the way back from Grand pass we saw a coyote trotting into the forest. Many marmots on this hike, some bigger than small dogs. The clouds came in the late afternoon and the temperature dropped to about 45 with wind chill.

We hiked out Sunday morning in blue skies. As we made our way up the switch backs the clouds started coming in from the ridge and blew cool air on us. Once we got to the top of the ridge the clouds had lifted above us but were also snaking down in the valley. The ridge hike was pleasant but nippy and the winds eventually abated.

Hiking time out from Gladys lake was 3 hr 55 min. including many stops along the way for photos, trail mix and oxygen along the switch backs.

KAR and I set out Friday at 1:00 PM from Deer Park to try a loop I have wanted to do for years. In great weather, we descended to Three Forks on an easy, well-maintained trail through the woods. Didn't see anybody as we passed the shelter but there were some bags and tents spread out - maybe the trail crew working on the Gray Wolf' The trail along Cameron Creek was peaceful and refreshing, passing through sizable firs, forest flowers, and moss gardens pretty in the filtered sun of the afternoon. The two crossings were no problem, though these footlogs won't last many more seasons, I think. Shortly after the second one, about 4 miles up from three forks, we camped at a good site between the trail and the creek - almost no bugs! The second day started out well, and as we ascended gradually, lupine, tiger lilly and tens of other flowers appeared. The old Lower Cameron shelter looks like it was kaput years ago. At the junction with the Cameron Pass Trail, things began to change. Apparently the trail crews had made it to here (Thanks!). As we continued up Cameron Creek, we encountered steadily worse windfall and avalanche fall. Where the trail descends right to the creek, maybe half a mile beyond the aforementioned junction, we hit the bad stuff - two stretches of major avalanche damage - trees knocked down a steep slope over the trail and right into the creek. We went up maybe 150 feet to a lesser slope and scratched and bruised our weary way across. Many of these trees are yews, and I don't know how fast they grow, but could well be about 25-30 years old Hmmmm! Wonder if this area hasn't been worked over by the snow since '72' There were some bigger firs mixed in with the debris. Somehow this avalanche zone seemed brushier and scratchier and just plain nastier than those we had seen earlier in the year near Mildred Lakes, North Fk Skokomish and Lake of the Angels. We had met a young feller coming down who warned us, but at least we knew he got through! He had come over Lost Pass from the Dose. After we finally got through to the first creek crossing above this mess, things eased up, and we met another couple coming down from Lost/Cameron Passes, so we had our turn at warning them. Throughout Saturday the weather got windier and showery as we ascended into gorgeous Cameron Basin. Here we camped at Upper Cameron, and dried out, giving up on our plans for Cameron Pass and Three Sons Camp due to time and weather. After a night of on/off rain and wind, we headed back through the beautiful alpine flower garden of Cameron Basin, had a better time negotiating the mess along the creek, and reached the junction. Headed up to Grand Pass - trail in great shape (Thanks again, crews!), and another fine and different array of flowers. Grand pass was a wild, desolate scene as the wind howled and the clouds flew past and over our heads. We didn't tarry, but descended quickly to a great campsite at Gladys Lake, where we dried out again. On Monday we again experienced abundance and variety in flowers as we headed past Moose and Grand Lakes on easy trail. Turned off at the Lillian Ridge/Obstruction Point junction instead of heading into Badger Valley, having heard from a couple hikers at Grand Pass that the latter is also plagued by avalanche debris, and we weren't ready for another bout with that yet. Instead, we ascended into the breezy clouds on Lillian Ridge, and saw tundra flowers with icicles clinging to the stems! We hurried through here, and emerged at Obstruction point parking lot in great shape. On the grand ridge trail there's one steep snow patch to negotiate (we went around it below) about .3 miles up the trail, then perfect trail all the way back to Deer Park. The weather was blustery but mostly sunny all the way back, and with the wind behind us, we made good time. Couldn't see anything back towards Olympus due to the cloud cover, but the views of Mount Deception, Clark, Walkinshaw, Needles, Sundial, etc. were spectacular. And yet another varied flower fest all the way back to Deer Park. Deer Park road seems in good shape this year. Maybe KAR will send in a report with the flower list, but it might swamp this file server - must be hundreds of varieties logged. A great trip, hope to do it again after the sawyers have had at those yew trees on the Cameron!

An absolutely
beautiful trip as described by others. The bridge washout detour isn't too difficult, but tricky squeezing through the trees with a big pack on. We hiked in Lillian Ridge, spent one night at Grand Lake and hiked out Badger Valley the next day. There was frost on the ground in the morning. The ranger who was leaving for the season the next day, said that is more than likely the end of the season soon. Once it snows at the trailhead ( which is about 3000 feet higher than the valley) people are in danger of getting stuck there. Grand Pass is another option in though I believe.