LaCrosse Loop '15,  Olympic National Park,  Sep 10, 2015 - Sep 16, 2015     page 8 / 47

As promised by my old Green Trails map, I had to ford the river near Upper Duckabush camp. There was plenty of water flowing, but it only amounted to 8-9 inches where I crossed.

I ate some lunch in the campsite and tried to remember the old shelter location. It took me just a few minutes to find the rock foundation where it stood several years ago, before it was destroyed by a falling tree.

About an hour after continuing up the valley, I met a couple on their way to Home Sweet Home. We chatted for a few minutes, exchanging information about the high country.

The afternoon sun warmed the valley. Though my thermometer showed it was only 77F, I seemed fairly warm, stopping more often than expected to catch my breath.

By 4:00pm I reached Marmot lake. Despite having visited this location several times over the years, I didn't recall just how beautiful it was. The fall colors were in full swing, with plenty of yellow, orange and red foliage surrounding the lake!