Started at Hurricane Ridge and intended to hike one way down to Heart O’ the Hills Entrance Station via Lake Angeles. Made it up to the saddle at the base of Mt. Angeles (“Victor Pass”). However, after hearing multiple reports from other hikers about the scary ridge trail east of the junction, with narrow and exposed tread, I changed plans to travel down via Heather Park.
Unfortunately had not reviewed the Heather Park WTA trip reports prior. Wish I had, because this excellent report from “HikingRaptor” would have convinced me to skip the Heather Park route due to a trail washout and their “terrifying” attempt to cross the washout. (https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/trip-reports/trip_report-2020-07-21-7495682015).
Looking down from the saddle, the first part of the trail appears steep and narrow but doable – which it was. It traversed north on the slope for over a mile, but then the trail just disappeared into a washout. It is unfortunate that in my careful review of the map I failed to see that the trail goes uphill over a ridge (not downhill as was my misinterpretation of the topographic lines). So, I was looking down the slope trying to locate the trail – not realizing that it was above me. (Plus I could not see the trail above the washout.)
Looking at the photographs I can now see a couple steep switchbacks on that jaunt over the ridge – which are marked on the photo. But given the trip reports of the difficulties in trying to get past the washouts – this trail is just too sketchy for my taste - especially since I was hiking alone. I ditched my plans for a one-way hike, headed back up to the saddle, down the Switchback Trail, and caught a ride with a kind hiker down to the entrance station.
It would be helpful if GreenTrails and the Olympic NPS maps notated this as a “secondary” trail rather than a “primary” trail. Right now it is more of a climbers trail / scramble in the upper section 1.5 miles north of the saddle.
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