Bailey Range Traverse '14,  Olympic National Park,  Aug 14, 2014 - Aug 21, 2014     page 17 / 117

Another mile and I had reached the end of the trail, marked by a pile of rocks and an old log.

From here, I followed a boot beaten path steeply up the hill, gaining 270 feet of elevation. This placed me at the west end of "The Catwalk", a narrow arete which must be crossed to reach the slopes of Mt Carrie where the Bailey traverse begins. The sharp ridge is a bit airy, dropping some 2500 feet to the Hoh valley below, and about 1500 feet on the other side, into the Cat Creek drainage. It's an exciting location, with clear weather. With the fog it felt somewhat more benign.