Deer Ridge, Three Forks, Cameron Creek, Cameron Pass, Upper Gray Wolf River to Gray Wolf Pass & Slab Camp Creek and Gray Wolf River — Saturday, Sep. 29, 2018

I hiked a 45 mile loop starting from the Deer Park trail head and walked up the Deer Ridge trail to the Three Forks trail junction. Took a left down the Three Forks trail to the Three Forks camp. From there I took a right and followed the Cameron Creek trail down past Lower Cameron camp and the Grand Pass trail junction and up over the Cameron Pass. After the pass I went over the small Lost Pass to the Dosewallips trail. From there I took a left past Dose Meadows camp and Bear camp and spent the night at Deception creek. The next day I went up over Gary Wolf Pass and down the Gray Wolf trail past Falls camp and Camp Ellis to the Gray Wolf camp. From there I took a right and followed the Gray Wolf river to Slab Camp Creek trail taking a left and going up the Deer Park trail head.

I started the trail early in the morning to watch the sunrise on Deer Ridge. This first leg is pretty steep and there was no water sources until Three Forks camp, fill up early and ration your water, there is a source along the Three Forks trail. Cameron creek was a great trail with only a few spots near the Cameron pass where the trail split in multiple directions, look for the cairns and sticks blocking the wrong paths. Cameron pass looks difficult and steep from that direction but once you get on the scree it is pretty straight forward and not very high. The top of Cameron Pass was windy and cold and very beautiful. After the pass the trail drops down very nicely and goes up slightly to get over Lost Pass. The drop down from Lost Pass was very steep and at times a little tricky to go down. The Lost Pass Trail ends at the Dosewallips River trail and immediately to the right of the trail junction you should be able to see the privy for the Dose Meadows camp. I choose to hike down past the Gray Wolf pass trail junction to Deception Creek camp for the night but if I had to do the hike again I would have stayed at Dose Meadows or Bear Camp, both a nicer camps and closer to the Gary Wolf pass trail head.

The next morning I headed up Gray Wolf Pass, a nice moderately steep trail with a few downed trees that were easily bypassed or climbed. Once at the pass I had a great view of clouds and fog and was buffeted by very strong winds, I did not stay for long. After the pass I headed down Gray Wolf trail which followed the river, crossing it several times over log bridges. This part of the trail was very well maintained and the gentle downward slope allowed me to hike pretty fast. This part of the loop passes Falls camp and Camp Ellis and ends up at Gray Wolf camp and the junction for Slab Camp. Taking that right I followed the Gray Wolf River and the trail was surprisingly steep at times taking me higher that I thought it would, leaving the river far below. The trail junction for Slab Camp Creek is unmarked so when you encounter the fork in the road take a left to slab camp. I had to pull out the GPS to make sure I was making the proper turn. Slab camp Creek trail was very well maintained and surprisingly heavily trafficked for a Sunday afternoon.