OLYMPICS ALPINE TONIC
~ From the Bailey Range ~
July 23, 1992

Stephen Lake on Bailey Range Traverse

And here, was the enchanting setting of Stephen Lake, near the heart of the Olympics. Above us soared an eagle . . . and I thought nothing is more sublime!

There among the steep gullies of the Bailey Range traverse in the Olympic Mountains, gurgles a spring that pours directly out of the mountain side of Mt. Carrie, which is located beyond the Catwalk, a precipitous ridge one must negotiate to begin the traverse. Not only does it awaken the palate, but the rest of your senses as well. When my hiking friends and I happened upon it in 1992, we knew we had found something special . . . well in view of the face of Mt. Olympus and its many surrounding peaks named for Greek Gods, where herds of elk and black bears roam, and meadow wildflowers bloom profusely.

KJM
(McPilchuck)
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