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Dayhiking the High Divide Lope (Seven Lakes Basin) - Olympic National Park --- (18.8 mile with 3500 ft elevation gain)(9-16- 2012)

For a while this year, Les and I wanted to day hike the High Divide Loop hopefully during the blueberry peak season.   It was my best day hike in 2010.   I was amazed and impressed with its well maintained trails.    Both of us wanted to start early, so, we met at 0430 at the Center Rd junction (Quilcene cut off) with Hwy 104.    We started hiking the counterclock wise loop at 0715 at the Sol Duk trailhead.   We were striding fast but stopped multiple times munching on the blue berries.   Lots of blue berries near the Deer Lake and below the Heart Lake.     

Back in 2010,  I saw 4 bears in 4 different places, but this time we saw 1 mid-sized bear below the Bogochiel Peak traverse to the Hoh River junction.   A group of hikers told us seeing a big bear going around the Bogochiel Peak and seeing a herd of Elk near the Heart Lake.  We took a short break at the Bogochiel Peak.  To the South and East,  we could see the dense layers of smoke from the wild fires.   There were a multiple wild fires in Central Washington area.   At the junction with the Hoh River trail,  it's probably the closest I have gotten to see the Mt Olympus area.   It was quite impressive to see its rugged and majestic views.   

After the last stop for munching on the blueberries below the Heart Lake,   we moved quite fast passing a few Sol Duk camp sites.    We arrived back at the trailhead 0430pm.

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