Hoh River Trail to Blue Glacier, Hoh River Trail to Five Mile Island & Hoh River Trail to Elk Lake — Friday, Sep. 4, 2015

Olympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast

We started off getting to the Quinalt WIC first thing in the morning to get our permits and reservations for a campsite. We asked about availability at the quota'ed campsites past the Olympus Ranger Station and the ranger told us Elk Lake and Glacier Meadows for Friday night were wide open. We were pretty stoked to hear we'd be getting a reservation that day, and decided on the spot that we were going to make the long trek up to Glacier Meadows that night. We kicked off our hike at 10am from the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center. The trail was in great condition with no washed out spots or blown down trees. From the start of the trail to the Olympus Ranger Station, approximately 9 miles in, there were two very minor stream crossings and one sketchy log crossing that required a little balance with a pack on. Other than that, it was smooth cruising along the lush valley floor. A few rain showers blew through quickly during this part, so be ready with a parka and water proof your stuff. About 12.4 miles in, we started the climb up to Glacier Meadows. We crossed over the Upper Hoh Bridge and admired the views before heading uphill for the last 5 miles of the hike. This was the most strenuous part of the trek up to Glacier Meadows, and it slowed us down quite a bit. After a bunch of switchbacks and some uphill straightaways, we reached a stream crossing that into Martin Creek and Elk Lake. We continued along the trail and ran into a pair of day hikers, who gave us some tips on finding the trail after the ladder/fixed rope section of the trail. They advised to cross over the run off stream once at the bottom of the ladder, and then turn uphill for a short climb back up to rejoin the trail. Their directions paid off, and we managed that section with no real problems. On the final 200 meters into Glacier Meadows, there's a downed tree that we had to scramble through, but we made into the campsite with some daylight remaining at about 6pm. At Glacier Meadows, one of two privies are open, and the bear wires are in good shape. The campsites were clean and inviting. We stayed at site 11, right next to the stream where we were able to fill up our water bottles with crystal clear snow run-off. The next morning, we woke up at sunrise (6:30am) to make our way to the Blue Glacier. We headed up the trail to the Lateral Moraine. It was a nice, uphill walk through some rocky terrain, but the trail was generally easy to follow. Once we made it to the overlook area, we took in the views for half an hour before heading back to our campsite to pack up and hike out and make our way home later that day. Overall, the 2-day trip was fantastic. The last haul up to Glacier Meadows was a good climb, but the views of the Blue Glacier and Mount Olympus made it all worth it. 5/5 hike.