Backpacking with Olympic black bears

The briefing

Two hikers backpacked the 22-mile Seven Lakes Basin loop in Olympic National Park over three days in early August after wildfires scuttled a planned Banff trip. They encountered five black bears, were assaulted at camp by two does and five fawns, and one hiker experienced salt depletion on the final descent. They rated the trail beautiful but outside their top 10 Washington hikes, recommending it for those seeking alpine scenery and bear sightings.