Backpacking Washington's Olympic National Park : Royal Basin & Surprise Basin

[@wildoutsiders]

Great video! Captures everything that makes Upper Royal Basin one of Washington’s most special areas!

[@austinblackburn1904]

Awesome video! I love the song!

[@TheMountainMatt]

That ruggedness was killer! Right up my alley👍🏼. Love this video😁!

[@alananderson1914]

After seeing your Bailey Range video I found this - you were camping in my backyard! :)

[@brookeshaffer4377]

Raw and rugged beauty✨

[@relaxingvideosnorthwest3646]

Awesome video!

[@aaronfulwider779]

One of my favorites of the Olympics. Gotta go back to do some extended trips in those Needles but earlier when there is more snow.

[@barbaradarnell7376]

Don't see anything is this video that would make me do it this late,rather than early/mid July.

[@coniferousforests8030]

wonderful place! Forest was my favourite part.

[@pnwadventuresandgearreview8749]

Nice production! I am going to spend some time in Washington next year at least 2 backpacking trips it is so close to my state of Oregon and is just as beautiful.

[@CatherineGregoryAdventures]

Beautiful! The time-lapse footage is awesome. What diversity the Olympics offer. Looking forward to hopefully spending more time in Washington next year. Thanks for the vid!

[@NorthwestWanderer]

It really is crazy how different the west side of the Olympics is from the east side. Our sierra trip this year was cancelled because of the fires. We really wanted to head back there :(

[@VentureFarOut]

I think I passed you guys coming up as I was coming down. I recognize the comforter on the back of your pack. You probably had a warmer night of sleep than I did with just my down quilt haha. Explored a lot of the same tarns you did. Its a spectacular place. Met two people who were headed to Deception Basin just south by way of Royal Basin which looks amazing too. Hopefully next year!

[@NorthwestWanderer]

haha that's awesome! The comforter worked amazing. I was sweating. Gonna try to not make it a habit as it added a bunch of weight especially on the hike out when logged with condensation overnight.

[@jaymontgomery3330]

Beautiful , thanks for sharing!! Next time your at Royal Basin venture over to Deception Basin, it's awesome. Can get away from the summer crowds too.

[@NorthwestWanderer]

thanks for the info, it is now high on the list!

[@joewickie2376]

Broke my leg in 2001 leaving Deception Basin down to the Dosewallips.

[@JustMe-vn5pq]

I made the mistake of taking the route the climbers take who are set on climbing Mt. Deception. Once in the Upper Basin, they climb that steep and nasty slope you showed in your video, to the left of the route to Surprise Pass. You top out on a ridge and then head down to a big snow bowl. Is that Deception Basin? Probably. Since I didn't want to climb back down that steep and nasty slope, I headed to the right (left would have taken me up the snow bowl to climb Deception). It was an easy downhill walk that eventually led me to Surprise Pass. So I've done that pass, but in the opposite direction you did. It wasn't too bad, though it did require a little scrambling at the pass itself. So if you ever want to get to that snow bowl and perhaps climb Deception, I definitely recommend doing it via the longer and more roundabout route; take Surprise Pass.

[@Olympic_TryAthlete]

10:48 Made a similar mistake once, but it was just a winter day hike almost to Flapjack Lakes. Brought the stove but forgot fuel.

[@ryan_steele_mcginnis]

Awesome! I got a permit for royal lake, can I camp at the upper basin with that?

[@NorthwestWanderer]

Upper basin is a seperate permit. Royal lake and upper basin arent too far apart. You can probably call to get it changed. Upper basin is a cross country zone so its not listed on the website

[@ryan_steele_mcginnis]

@@NorthwestWanderer thank you!

[@JustMe-vn5pq]

@@NorthwestWanderer The Upper Basin is a cross country zone once you get there. But you really need to take the unofficial trail between the Lake and the Upper Basin. We tried going cross country between the two, and it was pretty awful. Of course, once you've made it to the Upper Basin you can head anywhere you want.