Grand Pass, Cameron Pass, Lost Pass Primitive & Hayden Pass — Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021

The Panama route is a 73 mile throughhike through the varied ecosystems within Olympic National Park, including over 4 passes, 2 peaks and several river crossings,  from north to south.   It is a route that may not have been done before, and was very difficult.   But we did it!   (3 women aged 63,63, and 56).  Parts of the route were considered primitive trail,  and we used the Gaia app for route-finding.   We had amazing weather,  although it was actually a little too hot during some of the big pass climbs.   We each started out with a little less than 30 lbs of backpack weight.  Poles were essential (for us).

Day 1:  Obstruction Pt to Upper Cameron,  10.4 miles  3262 up/4095 down,  camped at Upper Cameron.   Took awhile to find the camp sites- they are up high to the left of the stream,  primitive camps.

Day 2:  Upper Cameron to Dose Meadows,  4.5 miles, 1199 up/2172 down.  Great soaking area in the creek just a little up from the campsites.

Day 3: Dose Meadows to Hayes Valley,  11.5 miles,  1376 up/2172 down.  Over Hayden Pass,  then long flat descent to the Elwha Valley.   Saw no one.

Day 4: Hayes Valley to Low Divide,  13.9 miles, 2371 up/408 down.   fabulous swimming at Lake Margaret.   Back into areas where humans were sighted.

Day 5: Low Divide to Lake Beauty,  9.05 miles, 2750 up/1533 down.  Excellent swimming at Lake Beauty.  Mosquitos were really bad.

Day 6: Lake Beauty to Three Prune,  11.23 miles,  2931 up/4073 down, very difficult day-  our hardest of the week.  No water for 5 mile section.  Very few campsites at Three Prune; groups had to share campsites.

Day 7: Three Prune to North Fork Quinault,  12.95 miles (missed capturing a little mileage at the end so it was a little longer), 650up/3852 down.  Easiest day of the trip.