Honestly, I'll skip the long description and photos of how stunning this hike is, just review the countless photos and reports of people who subject themselves to these long distance days, we do it because it is SO WORTH IT!
Here's the quick stats of my solo trip:
Day 1: Hoh Visitor Center -> Olympus Guard Station. 9.7 miles took me 4 hours
Day 2: Olympus Guard Station -> Lateral Moraine -> Terminal Moraine -> Olympus Guard Station. 18 miles & 5,500 feet of gain took me 10 hours with 1.5 hours soaking in the views at top.
Day 3: Olympus Guard Station -> Hoh Visitor Center. 9.7 miles took me 4 hours
Details:
Very easy trail to follow. The infamous landslide ladder is indeed a bit sketchy going down because of the broken rungs. I would not recommend beginners to attempt this with large overnight packs. After 5 mile Island the crowd thins out tremendously. Not completely alone but definitely some good solitude. Additionally there are two sections where you cross part of the Hoh River via a fallen log and a log jam. I had dry weather but I could imagine it would be a bit slick.
The bear wires were very very nice to use rather than lugging around a bear can. Additionally there were lots of availability on the two bear wires at camp. Olympus Guard Station didn't have official markers designating the campsite but they are pretty obvious to find. I really like this camp because it had a small creek on the west side that was great for fresh water to purify rather than the Hoh. If I were to do this again I would recommend Olympus Guard Station, Lewis Meadows, & Martin Creek.
If you had to pick one or the other I would suggest the Lateral Moraine. The last mile after glacier meadows kicks your butt but at the top it literally took my breath away. If you have the energy and time I would also recommend the terminal moraine (perhaps first). Less people seem to talk about it but I still found that it had a unique view of the glacier as well. The trail to that section does come to an abrupt end and I'm not sure where other people go to cross or get lower.
I can't believe I need to state this but from others reports it seems to be a point of disappointment. You will not see Mt. Olympus until the very end because you are walking through a RAINFOREST! The ancient trees and massive amounts of vegetation are epic. That is your consistent view until you reach the subalpine.
Shoutout to Nutmeg and her wonderful group for suppling some amazing conversation at the top! Keep being the beacon of light!
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