My brother and I backpacked for 3 days (2 nights), camping both nights at Olympus Guard Station, 9.1 miles in from the Hoh River trailhead. On the second day, we day-hiked to the Blue Glacier. Overall, our trip was about 40 miles round trip.
Day 1, Wednesday: We arrived in the parking lot at 10:30am, and it was packed. About 60% of people were wearing masks on the trail. The trail was in very good condition. There was only one tricky stream crossing due to a bunch of logs that had piled up; poles helped with our heavy packs, but with a day pack it would be easy. We found a very nice campsite at Olympus Guard Station next to the river, protected by some alders. The privy was recently rebuilt and was very pleasant to use. Thankfully, there were no bugs!
Day 2, Thursday: We had a bit of a late start, beginning our day-hike to Blue Glacier at 10:20am. The trail was in very good condition, and we were surprised to see many more camping areas than my Olympic National Park map showed. In an emergency, there are shelters with wooden bunks at many camping areas, including Elk Lake and Glacier Meadows. Going uphill starting at 12.4 miles was very grueling, and we were very pleased with our decision to leave our heavy packs behind. The bridge across the gorge is brand new and makes for an excellent break spot. When we reached Elk Lake, there were some mosquitoes but they were not terrible; it was the middle of the day though, so they probably got worse at night. There wasn't much access to the lake that we could find. The perimeter is pretty swampy.
The Infamous Ladder/Land Slide: Contrary to what I thought, you go down the ladder first, and go up it when you return. It is steeper than any picture can portray. When descending, make sure both hands have a firm grasp on the rope before moving your feet, and go one person at a time. Rocks fall very easily, and I was almost hit in the head by one when my brother started coming down behind me too soon. We did not use the ladder when going down, but used both the rope and ladder when ascending. Some of the rungs are broken, so be conscious of the loose soil in those spots. After the ladder, you have to scramble back up the other side of the landslide without ropes, but the rocks are more secure on that side. I would not want to do this with a backpacking pack on. It was quite difficult and you need decent arm strength to climb both directions. After the landslide the trail was in good condition.
I wish there was better signage about how far it truly is to the glacier itself before setting out. When we arrived at Glacier Meadows camp, there was still another 1.3 miles to go, and maybe a little more up to the lateral moraine. My phone said we hiked 10.2 miles from Olympus Guard Station to the lateral moraine at the Blue Glacier, making for a long 20.4-mile day. We didn't go to the terminal moraine, but the lateral moraine view is much better according to other hikers, so we recommend that route.
We got back to our campsite at 8:30pm and enjoyed our well-deserved pesto tortellini.
Day 3, Friday: Hiking out from Olympus Guard Station was very pleasant, until we reached a few miles out from the trailhead. People were terrible about wearing masks and getting off the trail, and it was very disappointing and irritating. Please remember to wear masks and be considerate of others on the trail.
Overall, this trip was incredible and I would love to do it again. We had no bugs except for our brief time at Elk Lake, and had perfect weather.
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