Grand Valley-Olympics

“I drove up to the Obstruction point trailhead on Saturday night and enjoyed the finest views you can drive to in Washington. Sunday morning I hiked out along Lillian ridge, stopping at every high point and detouring to every view spot. This is an incredible hike right from the start. There is every type of mountain and peak visible, in all directions. The trail then drops down and down to the Grand Valley through numerous switchbacks that I wasn't looking foreward to climbing on the way out. There is a nice view of Grand Lake from the trail, so I didn't descend to it, but instead pushed on to Moose Lake. I found only one campsite empty, but it was also one of the only ones suitable for my hammock, so I was in luck there. (campsite #9). The bugs were semi-bad, mainly from about 7 to 9 pm. The deer are very brazen, one even stealing a tie-dye bandanna I got the last time the Dead played in Seattle. I chased that darn thing all over the meadow until he dropped it for a second and I drove him off with a charge foreward. Now my bandanna is covered in deer spit. On Monday I was feeling very weak from a bad cold I picked up on Saturday, so I decided not to dayhike to Grand pass but instead just lounged at Moose Lake and rested and took vitamins and went for a short swim. The hike out on Tuesday went well, considering the steep trail and the hot sun. I lounged on the ridge top for several hours, re-absorbing the views. I will return here soon to see the rest of the marvels that I missed this time. Another hiker told me that the hike to Grand pass and Grandview peak was the finest he had ever done, and I believe him based on what I saw. No problems were encountered on the roads or the trails, everything is perfect. Pictures at WTA.org, trip reports.”