The Six Ridge trail is a slightly overgrown primitive trail with a few downed trees, one small creek ford, and a ton of switch backs. Despite its primitive nature I highly recommend this trek.

I started of from the Staircase parking lot and hiked the standard 5.5 mile down the very popular trail to the Six Ridge trail junction. Along the way passed Slide camp, Flapjack trail turn off, Spike camp, and the trail head for Black and White. After Black and White trail head you will get to a T in the trail with a sign for the Six Ridge trail to the left. Immediately the Six Ridge shows why it is a primitive trail and certain parts are hard to identify, look for a few carefully placed rocks, pink marking streamers or just keep a general understanding as to the direction of the trail. A quarter mile into the trail I had to go through a small creek about 50ft across and a foot deep. I tried to go across the small logs placed in the water and took a hard fall on the rocks; just take you shoes off and ford it.

After the creek the trail starts a steep climb with multiple switchbacks all the way to the top. Once at the top of Six ridge the trail goes up and down along the ridge offering stunning view of the surrounding mountains and Lake Cushman in the distance. The trail was heavily overgrown in spots and I had to go through a few downed trees but overall not a problem. I went as far as the turn off for Belview Camp and then ran out of time.

7/19/18 to 7/22/18
Upper South Fork Skokomish Trail - Sundown Lake- Six Ridge - Mount Olson Way Trail - North Fork Skokomish Trail.

7/19/18 South Fork Skokomish to Camp Riley
We left the car about 4:30pm from the Upper South Fork Skokomish River Trail head. Set to make it to Camp Riley, just inside the Olympic National Park Boundary, roughly 6 miles and 1.800 feet in elevation gain. We arrived to camp about 8:30pm, just before dark.  We heard some VERY strange unidentifiable animals noises later, about midnight, of something large that passed thru camp, but didn't mess with out canisters. You are able to filter water either above or below camp. Camp is set up on the edge of a small meadow. Be extra careful with the fire pit, it's not in the safest spot, not enough water would be available nearby to put a fire out if it spread. A bear line *could probably* be hung to standard here, but bring canisters if you plan on doing the loop and save yourself the trouble, DO NOT skip on your bear safety here, there are bear, this trails in probably exculsivley maintained by bear and elk. Didn't run into them but seen fresh signs everywhere.
The part of the trail  leading to Camp Riley (as with most the trail) is FULL of HUGE Blueberries and all varieties of Huckleberries, the literally  smack you in the face. The trail is brushy and overgrown. Complete opposite of what remember it as from when my dad dragged me up it in 2004 when it was well maintained. That being said this was the most maintained part of the whole trail until we made it to the north fork. Minimal blowdowns, bushwhacking, and gain… UNTIL the second river crossing. (FYI none of the water crossing on this trail have “official” bridges but all are crossible currently.) After the second river crossing (which is about 2.5 miles in the trail get less traveled and more bushy, it starts climbing in elevation, the closer you get to the park boundary the steeper and less tamed the trail becomes.

7/20/18 Camp Riley to McGravey Lakes
The next day i believe we left camp around 10am. We seen one other person on the trail, that morning, and the same guy later at Sundown briefly and that was in the entire time. This section of the trail began to climb more and more before eventually peaking Sundown pass at 4,125ft. About 1.5 miles after Camp Riley at roughly noon. The trail was kinda hard to find in some of the meadows, but for the most part was marked with pink flags, but beware the increasing number and intensity blowdowns on the trail from this point on. On this part of the trail water is plentiful, Less berries the higher up you went, just give them a  few weeks, we seen plenty of evidence of wildlife, frogs, elk, bear, and others.  
After reaching Sundown Pass the trail drops down the other side steadily before connecting with the Sundown Lake Trail from there it's like .3 miles(ish) to Sundown Lake. We made it there a little before 1 and had lunch there before heading up Six Ridge. There are a few camping spots along the lake, but no open flames are allowed here, no campfires. A bear line could also be hung here I suppose also (but canisters for the win. There were also plenty of fish jumping in the lake.

From here things went primeval, Six Ridge is truly a PRIMITIVE trail, not for those not versed in route finding, map reading, and in general brutal trail conditions. It is NOT a simple walk along the ridgeline. I don't even want to count the number of times we went of trail on the ridge. Take opportunities to get water very seriously here, as the farther down the ridge you get the less there will be.
From Sundown to McGravey lakes the trail steadily climbs, right way froing at you blow downs and a section of almost eroded away trail where it's cut into the cliff face. You switch pack your way up and over the saddle of the mountain, Six Ridge Pass 4600 ft. It took us about a hour to reach this from Sundown, roughly 1 mile from the lake. From there it's roughly another mile to McGravey lakes.
You can see the lake from the past but its not as simple as it looks. The trail drops down the other side of the saddle. Beware this is the beginning of a maze of animals trails, do not get lost. As we approached the bottom of the bowl we began to lose the trail. Don't be fooled, remember the lake is to the left, do not follow the clear as day animal path that goes off to the right, almost more trail like then the trail. Look for the cairns here, and ocacial metal marks on trees, you won't find and pink flags here. Head to the left, the bugs here, like in all the meadows will be BAAD, you won't be able to outwalk there hunger, cover up or slather on the bug spray. I believe we reached McGravey Lakes about 3:30 pm. There are no official camping spots here, remember no fires, stay 200 feet away from the lake. A bear line could be hung here if determined, or even a hammock. The lakes were cold, but a bath was much needed so we braved the water juuust enough to get clean.
And that was the end of our smooth sailing.

7/21/18 McGravey to Camp Bellevue/Mount Olson Way Trail
We Got a late start leaving McGravey Lakes, about 11am, and heading towards Camp Bellevue only 3 miles away. The trail from here climbs, right back, up and over the ridge, again (and again, and again). The trail becomes very hard to follow in some areas even disappearing entirely, especially in the meadows. There become fewer and fewer trail markers, metal flags on trees, as you go.  GIA was very helpful on this section in finding our way when we would lose the trail, which happened countless times. For every section of downhill on this section of the trail we were brutally punished, elevation lost must be gained, as you cross back and forth over the ridge. Water will become more scarce from this point on, filter when you find it. There will be NO water after Camp Bellevue. We  also seen and smelled fresh evidence of bear on the trail. I am fairly certain we were following it for a mile. The prints were fairly large. I had never been more thankful to have bear spray in my life as I am a slow hiker (who doesn't usually bring it) and kept being left behind. At this point we also noticed to tracks of another hiker who had been up recently.
Oh here is where things got fun. So Camp Belleview is unmarked. (feel free to make it a signs!)  It is merely a spot off the side of the trail which is about the only flat spot for a tent on the section. No firepit, no real identifiable features. So we, unknowingly, stopped for a snack there and kept walking, looking for camp, unaware we were literally just there.  Bad. At that point we were waiting for camp knowing it was the asft place to fill up and get water and we were getting low. So we were hurrying along. Then we reached the top of the ridge again, about 3pm, and the junction of Six Ridge and the Mount Olson Way Trail. With no camp in site we realised out error. So we had lunch and assessed our options as we were in urgent need of water.  We could...Backtrack the half mile back to camp (in retrospect the smarter option) But we didn't want to reclimb that again in the morning, (HA! Little did we know). We could hike the next 5 miles down to the Camp at 7 stream hoping we found water, doing the whole ridge in one day (glad we didn't do that). Or last try to make our way to Lake Success on a less them primitive trial that was abandoned 3 years ago. Thinking it “didn't look that bad” we said what the heck and gave it a go. All and all not to bad….
...Until we got to the saddle here was a beast i was very uncomfortable with, make sure you have good traction and something to self arrest with if you slip. Here you climb 500 ft across a slippery rocks slope, with very very little of what was once a flat trail surface left. You immediately drop all of that elevation if not more on the backside of the bowl, which is a very very large talus field. The rock here is slick and, small, and unstable, watch your step, do not start to slide. Then it begins cutting across to the right. There was still fairly large snow fields here. Thankfully not on the trail anymore, there would of been no safe crossing them at that angle without proper gear. Here the trail drops so steady with such non existent trail tread i began to worry how we were going to get back up it. The trail basically vanishes, you can only see what's in front of your face, you can't really tell where it cuts in on the other side tell your right on it. From the open rocky slope,back into the woods.
After not to long we came to the finally drop and climb. At this point i was too exhausted, cranky, hungry, and dehydrated to even attempt it. I was concerned about the steepness, lack of trail on it and what would happen if we slippe dr could not reclimb the hill. I made us turn back. Unwilling to do anymore climbing we set camp up at the bottom of the rock field, in a snow free boulder field with a tarn which had one single semi flat spot for a tent. Here we got water, and ate, I began to feel better. We set up camp, watched the sun go down and went to bed. 

7/22/18  Olson Way Trail - Six Ridge- North Fork Skokomish River.
Knowing we were in for a brutal day we started the day early this time. Leaving the tarn about 9am and began the steep, strainus, sketchy, and slow climb up the summit. From there we followed the ridgeline and boot path back to the junction on Six Ridge, making it there in about a hour. I was so glad to have that over with. But now began the fun of navigation Six Ridge Trail again. Six Ridge itself on this section is pretty nifty, there is a ridge on either side and a gully in the middle...and like the rest of Six Ridge trail you will be punished with brutal uphill for every downhill section. The trail here was in slightly better condition, but still hard to follow, or evergrown in spot. A few spots still had snowfields which we had to cross. Still lots of blowdowns and bushwhacking tell you get towards the end of the ridge, the switchback. The views from this part of the ridge were pretty cool, you could see some of the interior Olympics, Lake Cushman, and Hood Canal.
Once again on this section of the trail we noticed the tracks of 1 or 2 other hikers, who left a lot of trace. We even found their campsite along the trail on top the ridge where they had literally just left there poop and toilet after just chilling in plain site, no attempt to cover it. NONE. Along with a firepit, in a area fires are NOT permitted.
Once you start descending the switchbacks the trail is pretty beat in and easy to find minus a few blow downs that go right down the trail. But be warned, those switchback are no joke. I feel like we were on them FOREVER. It wasn't easy. Beside getting lost, nothing on this trail is easy. You drop all the elevation from the ridge over the course of 2 mile with no stop relentless sometimes tight sometimes long, sometimes steep sometimes flat switchbacks all the way down to Seven Stream.
There is no bridge at the Seven steam crossing, but logs have been laid acrost, you can get your feet wet or use that. Definitely a good spot to get wet and relax the sore muscles after everything. From this point on things are easy sailing. The North Fork Skokomish trail is wide, well maintained, plenty of water, no need to do a report on it. But from there you have about 5 miles to the Staircase Ranger Station, mostly a nice casual downhill. Here was the first time i seen people on the trail besides the one odd morning guy on friday, it was pretty weird.

Oh and in case you were wondering it's exclusively cat holes as far as bathrooms on this trail, if you can dig one, no pivys, i recommend a pee rag for the ladies so you can avoid the who bury or carry TP situation except when needed.
**i don't think you can hang a bear line at Camp Bellevue or most places on the ridge, you will need a canister.
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This hike was a bear of a hike! It is one of the hardest hikes I’ve ever done. It started with an easy walk through staircase, but then after 6 miles in we got to the switchbacks of death. 4 miles straight of switchbacks, took lots of breaks but They were still brutal. The trail is tough but definitely worth the trip. Lots of blueberry bushes along the trail, many logs to climb over and under. The view at the top at camp belview was amazing. We had slight overcast the first night and it was still nice. Definitely not a hike for young kids but worth it for the scenery. We went down near sundown lakes and then back up to camp belview. We lost the trail on the sundown lake side a few times. But made it back. The walk back was much easier and it was a lot warmer this day. The ranger on duty warned us about lots of bears in the area but we saw none. 

Mostly the trail is just grown over. A few down trees.