Hoh River Trail to Blue Glacier, Hoh River Trail to Elk Lake & Hoh River Trail to Five Mile Island — Thursday, Jul. 29, 2021

Not to belabor the detailed info provided in prior trip reports, but some key takeaways from our experience:

-If you don't arrive at the parking lot trailhead in the early AM or late afternoon, expect to wait in a long caravan of cars at the park fee tollbooth. Once the parking lot is full, the park rangers only allow new cars to enter after the same number of cars have exited. We waited over an hour to enter. We only had a short first day, so fortunately we weren't too sidetracked by the delay. Would definitely factor this into future trips though, and either arrive early/late, or just plan a shorter mileage first day.

-Flush toilets available (luxury!) at the trailhead at the visitor's center, along with a refillable water station.

-Trail was more popular than I anticipated. I expected the day hikers along the first section of the trail, but I encountered plenty of backpackers/climbers throughout the trail. Definitely did not expect to show up to campsites at 4:30pm to be greeted with a dearth of camping site choices, basically just the leftover dregs at that point.

-Bugs surprisingly not that bad for this time of year. Not sure if it was because of the trail mostly avoiding lakes, but this counted as a welcome respite.

-The humidity and lower beginning elevation translated into a warmer backpacking experience than I was used to. The humidity especially made the temperature feel warmer than it actually was. On hot days 80F-90F in the valley, this made for a sweaty ascent, despite the mostly shaded trail. Saw plenty of backpacking parties parked bedside the river/creeks for a brief cooler respite near the water. However, don't discount the weather changes at higher elevations near the glacier. It started drizzling on and off during our final push to the glacier, hammering home the point that this is rainforest territory. This was also a good reminder not to rely too heavily on weather forecasts, which didn't predict any significant rain on that day. The brief rain probably would have been unwelcome in cooler weather, but it was still hot enough that the damp clothing and cool wind only translated into a more pleasant uphill slog.

-Trail washout requiring ladders and a rope is well-detailed in prior trip reports. I used glovers which made the experience less harrowing. Otherwise trail in great condition, no blowdowns or mud to speak of, all creek crossings manageable without wet feet.

-Split up the trip into 3 nights, which worked out well, especially factoring in the long wait at the national park entrance which delayed our start.

Day 1: Hoh River TH -> Happy Four camp ~5.7mi
Shorter mileage first day in the heat, camped on the gravel bar and woke up to deer meandering through the camp
Day 2: Happy Four camp -> Martin Creek camp ~9.1mi
Split up the total elevation gain into two days, this being the first section. Camped at a secluded site away from the main drag, since the majority of sites clustered together without much privacy. No backcountry privy available here
Day 3: day trip Martin Creek camp -> Blue glacier -> backtracked to Martin Creek and donned packs down to Lewis Meadow ~11mi
Happy to carry only daypacks for the final ascent up to the glacier, especially for the final slow-going slog through a talus field. Spent time on both the Lateral and Terminal Morraine trails, and definitely the Lateral Moraine trail was the showstopper with dramatic views of the glacier backdropped by Mt Olympus.
Day 4: Lewis Meadow -> Hoh River TH ~10.5mi
Easy flat cruising, got an early start and didn't see anyone until Five Mile Island