Cameron Loop,  Olympic National Park,  Sep 11, 2006 - Sep 14, 2006     page 6 / 76

I reached Camp Ellis by 3:00 PM. This camp was pretty mediocre, to put it bluntly. There was room enough for perhaps three tents. A small, slowly flowing creek joined the Gray Wolf there, providing an area pleasing to the bugs. The camp had enough tree cover to make it somewhat dark. Access to the main river was limited, as were the views. Since the camp seemed disappointing to me, I decided to continue up to Falls Shelter. This would be an additional climb of 1000 feet over three miles, bringing my daily gain to 2000 feet--a respectable amount for the first day out. During my hike between Camp Ellis and Falls Shelter I stopped for a snack and some water. It was during this break when the horseback riders passed me going up the hill. Another couple of hours later I arrived at Falls Shelter. There were several good campsites in the area. There was also a small meadow behind the shelter. I chose a campsite near the trail, but away from the shelter. I could see the horses grazing in the meadow. Though they were somewhat close by, they never bothered me during my stay.