Elevation Gain: Approximately 2700 ft.
Time: 9:45 am - 3:15 pm
Weather: Gray, cloudy, rainy, overcast, dreary, a fall day in the Northwest.
I was going to climb The Brothers this weekend, but the weather was terrible. I was going to go with a friend from work, but we didn't want to deal with all the effort for bad views and finding ourselves exposed on the top of a peak. We bagged the plan, and I looked for a hike. I thought of Royal Lake, a hike I did in week 63. There are things happening in my life, and this place, for a variety of reasons, is a good place for me to think about those things. Unfortunately (or fortunately), no one wanted or could join me, so I was off on a solo trek.
I left Tacoma at 7:30 am, and I was at the trailhead by 9:30 am. It rained almost the entire drive. It stopped once I got on the other side of Blyn (small town right before Sequim), and it picked up right before I got to the trailhead. There were a few cars, but I saw no one. I took off and was immediately back into my memories of the trail and my previous hike. It was a classic PNW fall day. It was raining constantly. Not always pouring, but wet the whole time. I stopped at the Dungeness River crossing, fifteen minutes after I started, to take off a layer. I was moving again soon. I then hiked for the next two hours and twenty minutes without a break all the way to the other end of the lake. It was great to feel strong and in shape. The trail climbs only 2700 ft over 7 miles, but there are steep sections. On the way up, one hiker passed me on his way out. He had overnighted at the lake. I was up at the lake by 12:20 pm. While beautiful, it was cold, and I was soaked. I had the whole Royal Basin to myself, which was amazing. I looked at the lake from the south end as it continued to rain. I said out loud, "this sucks, but it's beautiful."
After a 30 minute break, I took off for the car. I cruised, reaching the car in two hours and twenty minutes. I passed three other people, but it was after the crossing of the Dungeness river, within 20 minutes of the trailhead.
Orchid: Quiet solitude and peaceful reflection.
Onion: Cold, wet, and not psyched for the weather.
Picture:
Google Map
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