High Divide Loop (7 Lakes Basin)
Olympic Peninsula
Round trip: 19 miles
Elevation gain: 4,000 ft
Highest pt: 5,120 ft
The loop around 7 Lakes Basin is an Olympic ideal, leading you up from old-growth forests dripping with moss to a high rocky ridge that grants you miles and miles of views of all the surrounding peaks, including the epic Mount Olympus.
Not that I would know... I couldn’t see a damn thing the whole time, thanks to the rain and fog on our hike in. I might be a little bitter. Whether I tackle the entire loop again or not, I already know the High Divide trail is one I will have to revisit because, let’s face it, I was flat-out robbed. We lucked out on bear sightings, though, seeing dozens of chubby, fluffy black bears gorging themselves on blueberries, vacuuming them into their mouths as they made their way up and down the hillside.
With that being said, there will always be that hike or backpacking trip that just kicks your ass. Maybe you’re not mentally prepared for the journey ahead, or you don’t have the right gear because of course you’d never get caught in the rain… or maybe you’re painfully hungover after a night of premature celebration out of excitement for the next adventure.
For me, that was this hike. It was a cold, wet, and miserable trek to camp that made me question my life choices. I wanted to throw in the towel less than halfway in, turn around and pity cry in the car for three days until my group came back, and I really tried to justify it. But I kept on going, and my thoughts got more positive, if telling myself that I needed this hike to completely ruin and humble me is positive self-talk. I’m going to consider that progress.
We hiked 12 straight miles in the rain and I hated every minute of it, but don’t let that deter you. Also, I would consider this entry as more of a “what not to do” when attempting the loop. The first “Don’t” of the trip: Don’t drunkenly agree to hike 12 miles to camp the following morning. You’d think that would be an obvious one, right?
We began at the Sol Duc trailhead at 9 am and took off into the misty forest. At .7 miles, Sol Duc Falls came crashing into view as we crossed a slippery bridge above. This is usually a popular destination for day hikers on the weekends, but the crowds quickly thinned out as we moved on. The trail immediately began to gain elevation as we traveled up the Deer Lake trail. We climbed (or in my case, I dragged myself) up several switchbacks surrounded by old-growth trees and lusciously mossy understory for about 3 miles until we reached Deer Lake. And guess what, no deer! The deer didn’t even want to be here, so why was I doing this?
We continued along the trail that lead us south along the lake’s shore, once again making our way higher up. Fully-stocked blueberry bushes lined the trail, but they weren’t as tasty as we had hoped. Clearly, the bears weren’t into them either. After another 3.3 miles, we reached the turn-off to the left for Lunch Lake, which brings you down into 7 Lakes Basin. This is a great spot for any sane backpacker to set up camp on their first night of the loop. That was not us. Supposedly there should be some pretty awesome views leading you up to this portion too, but again, I wouldn’t know.
We followed the sign for the High Divide trail (east) and began our journey along the ridgeline. Completely engulfed in fog, or a massive cloud with a grudge, the rocky terrain was creepy and mysterious as we traversed a recent landslide. The ground looked like an open wound of rubble, and I could only imagine what kind of forces could cause so much destruction. As we climbed up the ridge, it was a bummer to know that we’d otherwise be in awe of all the mountain ranges and peaks surrounding us if it weren’t for the thick fog.
We dropped down into a small basin, bright green with life and mist clinging to every inch of air. There we spotted several small lakes to our left, which I assumed were part of the 7 Lakes Basin. It was a beautifully eerie sight, and it was here that I decided I deserved a tough hike to kick my ass, and I humbly accepted it. No matter what, I was in a beautiful place in the middle of nowhere, all thanks to my own two feet. Things could be worse, right? But once again, we began to climb up through the fog and my legs cried and I cursed my naive positivity. Oh so fleeting.
Our next marker was Heart Lake at about 11 miles. Many signs refer to the continuing loop trail as the Sol Duc River Trail, so we followed the signage accordingly. We turned a bend and there she was, Heart Lake in all her heart-shaped glory. As we made our way down to the lake, we met a giant bear who was also wandering around the lakeside, inhaling every berry in its path. We paused for pictures and basked in our elated exhaustion. Only about a mile and a half to our destination for the next two nights: Sol Duc Park Campground. It was all downhill from here!
We descended deeper into the subalpine valley until we finally arrived at the scattered campsites along Bridge Creek. Here’s my second “Don’t” for prospective overnighters: Don’t take the loop counter-clockwise if your first destination is Sol Duc Park, as it’s only 7 miles in if you hike clockwise. Sure, you’ll miss the views of the High Divide, but that wasn’t an issue for us. Have I mentioned we couldn’t see a stinkin’ thing?
Soaked, chilled, and sore, Cody and I hobbled into camp to meet our group. To our surprise, they had found the empty (and dry and cozy!) ranger station for us all to dry our gear and have dinner in. Truly the saving grace to our trip, or else we would be shivering outside eating our sad meals in the rain. The following day we day hiked back to Heart Lake and continued on to check out Cat Basin. The clouds parted and we were met with patchy blue skies that lifted our spirits. More bears galore, including an up-close big boy that popped out of the trees, heading straight for me. I yelled and clapped and prayed he wouldn’t confuse me for a giant blueberry. He clearly had no interest in me as he changed direction and kept gobbling berries at warp speed.
We hiked out the next morning along the Sol Duc River Trail, about 7 more miles downhill to the trailhead. We made our way back into the forest, crossing impressive wooden bridges and hunting down waterfalls off-trail. It was a long slog, but finally reaching the junction for Sol Duc Falls made my heart leap. We passed groups of day hikers on the way to see the falls, all unaware of the torment we had endured over the last 48 hours. I envied them. A dad jokingly asked if he could borrow our trekking poles since we were done with them. We mustered a laugh. “I think we’re still gonna need them,” Cody sighed as we glanced up at the last remaining staircase to the parking lot. We heaved our bodies up the steps. I had never been so happy to see asphalt.
In the end, this was a trip that left me with many lessons. I will leave you with one last “Don’t,” especially for Washingtonians. Don’t go hiking or backpacking in the Olympics without a rain cover for your pack. As a fair-weather hiker, I never like to think I’ll be subjected to unwanted rain, but you can never be too sure when you’re tackling an actual rain forest. We were stuck with perpetually soggy, as well as sweaty, clothes that are the last thing you want to slip into after a hike from hazy hell.
So there are my two cents. Either way, I can’t wait to get back on this trail and experience it in all its glory!
Thanks again for checking in, I appreciate it more than you know! xoxo gossip girl
