With this weather window holding we made another trip into the Olympics today, this one to Royal Lake and Royal Basin. It was absolutely fantastic. To complete this entire hike in a day requires serious endurance. We made it up to Royal Lake in 2:45 and down in 2:30; the upper basin was probably thirty to forty-five minutes from Royal Lake. All the lakes were beautiful to behold, and the silence was incredible, especially in the upper basin.
The trail was basically snow free until Royal Lake, but had ice in places that was easy to navigate around. Past Royal Lake, the trail was covered in a thin layer of snow. Others had been there before us, so there was a boot path to follow up to the basin. There is a traverse involved that I would not recommend you take without microspikes. Be careful when hiking over the boulders in the upper basin as well.
This is one I'll be thinking about for years to come. Put it on your list, but treat it kindly, especially the upper basin. Also see my previous report on this trail below. Happy Hiking!
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