Hiked Flapjack Lakes and Gladys Divide on the way to climb Mount Cruiser. The first 3.4 miles of the trail, where it meets with the the fork with the Skokomish River Trail, are excellent...in most places wide enough to walk two abreast, and very gradual in incline. You travel through the area of the 1985 Beaver Fire on this first leg. The next 4.0 miles to Flapjack Lakes becomes steep. Passed Madeline Creek, then meet up with Donohue Creek to Flapjack Lakes. We camped at a riverside camp about 1/2 mile short of Flapjack Lakes, knowing that campground to be already full. The next day, proceeded to Flapjack, then the 1.4 miles to the approach to Mt. Cruiser. Weather was perfect. Proceeded up a steep snow gully, bore left, climbing over a high ridge to approach the summit block. There are some hazardous areas along this route, and we had heard that someone had lost their life on a climb there the previous weekend. Upon our return to the trailhead a ranger told us that it had happened along this ridge on their return. Decended to the bottom of the summit block. Dropped heavy packs and ascended to a chockstone about halfway up, where there is a good belay spot. Could not summit with one rope, had to stop at another belay spot short of the summit, where there are two new well-placed bolts for rappeling. The OMR book says this is a 5.5, the member of our team who led the first pitch estimated it to be more like a 5.7. Made the summit on second pitch. Found a bolt at the summit. Downclimbed to belay ledge and rapelled to first belay spot on chockstone. Downclimbed a short ways, through a chimney, from top of chokstone to another rappel spot, which made the decent much faster. Decended using the same approach route. Decending along the bergschrund in the snow gully became difficult at times....may have been better to have crampons. Views of Mt. Lincoln, Washington, Ellinor to the southeast were stunning, as with Olympus, Tom, and Anderson to the north. Got a little excitment just short of the summit with some thunder heard in the distance over Mt. Anderson, but it did not come toward Cruiser. Note: Lots of small mosquitoes, especially at Gladys Pass and beyond.

LAST month me and my DAD TIM set out to goto flap jack lake. the First 4.0 miles is an easy flat hike made it in 1.3 hours then you hit the next 4.0 miles of straight non-stop up hill switch backs there's about 5 - 7 but there's no flat ground for the last four miles. When you get the the last mile or so you have two monster switch backs the hardest section of the hike. but all this work is well paid in full when you get to the lake it is gourgous. We were at the far camp site, camp site 4 or 9 (can't rember). you had a clear view of saw tooth ridge.(BRING LOTS OF MOS-REPPEL)

With the good weather hanging on, I thought I would try another solo backpack to the Olympics, this time to Flapjack Lakes. The weather was a bit socked in when I arrived at Staircase, but warmish. I hiked 4 miles up the old road/trail on the North Fork Skokomish, which makes a nice walk in itself. After 1.5 hours, I arrived at the junction with the Flapjack Lakes Trail and the real workout for the day. The trail starts out in cool forest, climbing a short series of switchbacks and then traversing upward towards Madeline Creek. Once past the creek, it really climbs. After awhile, the trail comes into sound range of Donahue Creek and eventually reaches the junction with the trail to Black and White Lakes (reputed to be very rough). The Flapjack trail then hits some more tight, steep switchbacks and is very rooty and rocky until almost reaching the lakes where it finally gentles out. There are 10 campsites at the lakes, one a group site located on the opposite side of the lower lake. The Park Service only allows 30 people overnight in the area during high season, which just ended 9/30/01. There were only 11 people in the area, so the place was pretty quiet. After setting up camp, I wandered around the lake, picking huckleberries and snapping photos of the lovely lakes. I would like to have climbed to Gladys Divide, another 1,000 feet or so, but decided to save the feet for the way out. The trip out was uneventful, the weather great. I was pretty careful going down through the rocks and roots, since the trail was a bit dampish. Still I made great time out, about 4 hours to Staircase. It was a beautiful golden autumn weekend. Happy trails!

I day hiked on a beautiful Sunday up to and back from Flapjack Lakes, which borders the NF Skokomish/Hamma Hamma ""Sawtooth Ridge"" in Olympic NP. The trail is in great shape with the exception of a detour about 2/3 mile before the Black & White Lakes trail junction. Patchy snow was encountered just beyond the B&W junction and became solid snow at the lakes, but it was pretty easy going - the snow was hard and there were lots of steps kicked in. It looked like there were at least 2 camp sites (one was occupied) melted out at the lakes. I flopped down and rested on the ismuth between the lakes and ate and watched as the ridge was creating its own weather - clouds were forming directly overhead. The view to the southwest was sunny and clear while the view to the northeast, towards the ridge, was overcast. I marched down to Staircase tired but satisfied, the entire 14+ mile trip taking 6 1/2 hours.

Overall the trail is clear with only a short (1/2 mile) section of snow at 3700 ft to the lake. There is a washout on the trail. An alternate route has been flagged. At the lake there is about 3-5 ft of snow and most of the lake is still frozen over. The area between the 2 lakes is mostly thawed and offer a great view of Linclon. We hiked with daypacks only and took about 4 hrs to get to the lake and about 3 to get back down