We started Friday after work and hiked in a mile to the well-established (palatial) Forest Service campsites on either side of the bridge over Royal Creek, just past the trail cut off to Royal Basin on the right. The campsites have fire rings and plenty of space for several tents, including some large tent sites. There were four other groups camped there that night, so it’s a pretty busy place. It didn’t feel crowded, though, and the Dungeness just feet away covered any noise. The trail is in top notch condition, thanks to what appeared to be recent maintenance work.

We headed up the Royal Basin trail at 8 a.m. and again were impressed with extremely well-maintained trail the entire way. The first part is right by Royal Creek through what must be enchanted woods, filled with moss, ferns (I counted at least 5 kinds), vanilla leaf, and the shade of tall Douglas firs. Flowers are listed below. The trail sometimes climbs above the creek, but you can hear it the whole way and get surprise peeks of rapids and mini-falls, as well as many streamlets flowing down over the trail to join this happy creek – some bridged, all easily crossed. There are about four steep tail bits the whole way up, two through areas with less cover. But there are only two or three small scree spots to cross – the rest of non-wooded area is through meadows exploding with flowers. Just before the last steep bit to Royal Lake (a few areas of snow still here, but melting fast) are the Lower Meadows. Campers told us the bugs are less here, so you might want to consider this as an alternative to Royal Lake. The meadows offer stunning views of the mountains as well as their own cacophony of grass and flowers, capped with thrush song and the ever-present rush and gurgle of creek and streams. We got to the lake at 11:30 after what did not feel like really pushing ourselves, including a few snack and several photo breaks.

Royal Lake itself was quintessential Olympic perfection. A clear, green lake tucked into a bowl of snow-drenched mountains – irresistible after 7.2 miles (from the trailhead) of a sunny hike. As green water promises, the lake was cold. However, it was not numbing, unless you count the looks of nearby anglers as we swam through their dinner. I promise we were scaring them closer to shore! The campsites were full the Saturday night we were there (reservation, permit, and bear can required – resident ranger comes to check each night). Despite this, there was plenty of solitude if you wanted it, or friendly chatting if you preferred.

We headed up to the Upper Basin and encountered snow shortly after crossing the creek by the group site (just past the trail up to the privy/composting toilets). Upper Basin is still entirely snow-covered with only an electric-blue crescent of Upper Lake melting out from its cirque of peaks. The snow was easy hiking – I had only boots and gaiters (which I was glad of). Best of all was glissading down the slopes, which are huge open bowls of sliding glee. After the bottom-numbing job of making a track, you just had to run up to slide down again. This is some serious fun, not to mention the views!!! The melting-out meadow at the base of the slopes bears an uncanny resemblance to Yellowstone vistas, with varying red, orange, umber, browns, and greens of mixed minerals and vegetation.

Sunday morning was a wildlife safari of at least a half-dozen not-shy deer (including a spotted fawn), gamboling marmots, chattering Douglas squirrels, adorable chipmunks, and many birds. In the interest of full disclosure, also LOTS of mosquitoes and flies. After a lazy morning by the lake, we left just before lunch Sunday. We did indulge in another swim in the lake. My top recommendations for this hike? 1) float on your back in the middle of the lake and rotate slowly to get the full view, 2) bring some rain pants and spend a few hours sliding down the slopes of Royal Basin, 3) bring bug spray, lots of bug spray – humans aren’t the only ones who know a good thing when we see it.

Wildflowers in bloom – this was crazy; I started to lose count: marsh marigold, white fawn lily, tiger lily, red and blue columbine, yellow and blue stream violets, wild carrot, pearly everlasting, cow parsnip, pinesap, pinedrop, hare bell, thistle, butterweed (? Could have been something else), pentstemon, prince’s pipe, orange agoseris, foamflower, salal, goat’s beard, wild rose, thimbleberry, strawberry, queen’s cup lily, star flower, twin flower, shooting star, vanilla leaf, paintbrush, star-flowered false Solomon’s seal, elderberry, bunchberry, stonecrop, phlox, Hall’s honeysuckle, wormseed mustard, lupine, miner’s lettuce, purple aster, vetch, several others I didn’t know (mostly white & yellow).

Lots of pics at: http://www.flickr.com/[…]/