Ascending the Olympics Hiking the Grand Vally Trail T his outstanding hike combines the Lillian Ridge and Grand Pass trails to link Obstruction Point with the Cameron Valley. Along the way the route runs alpine ridges, passes sparkling lakes, and offers sweeping views of the eastern Olympics. From Obstruction Point the trail climbs onto the rounded top of Lillian Ridge, clad in grassy meadows that are populated by colonies of playful marmots. The ridgetop is soon dominated by an arid alpine tundra, in which hardy flowers like dwarf lupine, phlox, and fleabane eke out a hardscrabble existence in the high winds, short growing seasons, and lack of water found here.
Spectacular scenery abounds on all sides.
To the east, the Needles rise sheer above the intervening ridgetops. Early July to mid-October. A climber's trail continues along the ridgeline to the south, while the main path bends east to descend into the Grand Valley. The blue mirror of Grand Lake can be seen far below amid verdant forests on the valley floor. The path soon switchbacks down to the floor of a side valley, where it enters a lush subalpine basin of grassy glades and babbling brooks.