2008.8.10-11. Grand Valley at Olympic National Park. Immense beauty: profusion of colors, towering peaks, countless deer, grouse, whistler and fat marmot.

8.9. Saturday afternoon, 2 hr wait at Kingston Ferry. Picked up a bear canister at the Visitor Information Center, camped at Heart O'the Hills next to the park entrance.

8.10. Grand Pass Trail: start at Obstruction Point (8 miles scenic gravel road, 6200 ft) off Hurricane Ridge. First mile along the crest of Lillian Ridge is grand, then steep decent to the floor of Grand Valley. At 3.5 mile is the junction (5000 ft) to Grand Lake. Straight 0.5 mile to Moose Lake (5100 ft), secured a perfect spot for the tent, on a little buff by the lake. Some mosquitoes.
After dropping off the load, continue 2.5 miles over flowering fields and napping marmots, then some lingering ice to Grand Pass (6300 ft) and Grand Peak (6701 ft). View from here to Cameron River Vally and beyond is outstanding, albeit the cloudy sky.
Back to the tent, time to relax: loaded the fishing rod (I accidental dropped into the lake, and had to lay my t-shirt and sweater to dry on branches) and entertained the deers by peeing (they just wait next to you impatiently).

8.11. Sunny. Return via Badger Valley Trail in 5.5 miles. Retrace 1 mile to Grand Lake (4750 ft), then descend along Grand Creek to 4000 ft in mundane forest. The trail now picks up through Badger Valley. 2 hrs after the start, a large and beautiful meadow emerges, full of white Cow Parsnip. Couldn't stop long due to the overwhelming mosquitoes. Back to another tiring up stretch (~45 min) of dull forest, finally the most amazing flower display. Elephant Head were at their final glory, but what a glory. Snow melts into waterfalls clinging to the wall, carpets of pink, blue, white and yellow for a mile long. Zigzag up to the grand ridge, and 1 hr later back to the car.
Nothing beats a sweet slice of watermelon and change of saddles, facing the snowy peaks towering the southern horizon. Back to Hurricane ridge for a short stroll, the northern view towards Strait of Juan de Fuca was a sea of cloud. But back down the mountain, all was clear and blue. Monday ferry was such a breeze. Over the blue water, Rainier, Baker and the Olympic Ridges seemed genuinely alluring.