olympic np

We woke late this morning to a call from neighbors asking us if we wanted, since it was a clear day all across the Olympic Peninsula, to drive up to Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park. Why yes, yes we would. We hustled through making the muffins to take on the road, collected the neighbors and their dog, and drove west.

It's a 17-mile drive from the visitor information center to the ridge. We were informed that dogs weren't allowed on the trails at all, just in the parking lot or in the car. Oh well. They didn't mind all that much. We saw things like this:



And this:



And we left the dogs in the car and walked about halfway up this:



I got a little freaky when the ridge trail was in the open. hobbitt took my hand, or Danny did, so that I could enjoy some edge views. Mostly I wasn't upset, though such heights tend to get me a little disoriented. Lively conversation with Pam in the car on the way back helped me not be too freaky about the switchback driving.

There are amazing lupines all over the place up there, and they got smaller as we got higher. The alpine slopes were fragrant with the lupines and windflowers and some lovely yellow specimens, everywhere. Pam mentioned that it looked as though it had been planted. The shadier places were lousy with trout lily and bear's britches, and along a waterfall we found a magnificent deep pink dodecatheon, or shooting star:



We photographed this flower by a waterfall on the way back down the mountain. Alongside the water is Switchback Trail, which rises 1,600 feet in 1.5 miles. I'd like to try that sometime. Not today. One trail review I read says this:

The trail is a steep one, and the air is a bit thin, so do bring plenty of water and wear sunblock. The climb starts steeply along the waterfall and then vanishes into the forest. Keep panting. After your second coronary failure, you will emerge in an alpine meadow, and the trail will start to get easier. There is at least one false turn, where the trail has been rerouted. Go right here, rather than heading into the woods. At the intersection with the trail to the Hurricane Ridge visitor center, follow the sign and go right towards Klahane Ridge. The worst is over; you still must ascend 800 feet, but the switchbacks are much easier. Don't give up.

Coming down the mountain we had a magnificent view of the Strait of Juan de Fuca at Port Angeles. We could see the ferry on its way to Vancouver Island, as well as a few oil tankers far below us. This is a view of the Strait at Dungeness Spit near Sequim (pronounced "skwim") about 20 miles to the northeast.



Today totally did not suck. So what the rug looks like someone shaved a dog, and there's no food in the house? We're good on points. We're going to go out to dinner and bask in the wonderful life we have up here.

Click here for more images from the day. Enjoy!