Elevation Gain: Approximately 2,187 ft.
Time: 11:30 am - 3:15 pm
Weather: Cold and sunny in the morning turning to mostly cloudy skies in the afternoon.
For you loyal readers, yes, I have done this snowshoe trip before, back in week 19. When I was there earlier, the conditions were a near white out in the morning, and it cleared up slightly in the afternoon. I knew this hike was special for its views of the Olympics. I am not one to complain about the weather I get, but I vowed to do this hike again when the weather forecast was for clear skies. Hurricane Hill is about 3 miles from the Hurricane Ridge Visitor's Center in Olympic National Park. The road to get there is a turn of highway 101 in Port Angeles. And both times I was driving to Cape Alava for the overnight trips in weeks 27 and 29, I could see the blue skies above Hurricane Ridge, and I would day dream of snow shoeing up there again. The last two days of this week were amazing, in terms of weather, and I knew Saturday was a better forecast than Sunday. I had three other hikes I was considering Friday evening, but I decided this was the week I would go back to Hurricane Hill.
I actually got out of bed this morning and was packed and out the door by 8:45 am. I was in Port Angeles by 10:45 am, and I was up in the Hurricane Ridge parking lot by 11:15 am. I checked in at the ranger station, required for all snowshoers and cross-country skiers going out to the hill, and went back to the car to gear up. The weather was sunny and spectacular at the ridge. I had to put on sunglasses, and I could barely see the screen of my camera or cell phone with all the glare. I was walking by 11:30 am, and I remembered to set up my cell phone to record the GPS track.
The walk starts simply enough on a road, although the road is covered with snow. I passed a few snowshoers who were also heading out to the hill. I even passed a few skiers and snowshoers on their way out. All in all, I saw about 6 people, and I was psyching myself up for a crowded trail. I love seeing people out enjoying the natural world, but there is something about having it all to yourself that is extra-special. After about 30 minutes, I was past the road and on the trail. I was following snowshoe footprints of previous hikers, but I could easily step of to the side and make my own tracks when I felt like it. As I walked up the ridge to the top of the hill, I would stop periodically to look around at the Olympics. The views of the peaks and valleys were magical. I know photos can convey some of the beauty, but it does not even compare to what it looks like in person. I am also prejudice to the Olympic Mountain range. They are not the tallest peaks by any means, Mount Olympus does not even exceed 8000 ft. There is something about them that touches my very soul. I have been on a few trips within the boundaries of the park, but it seems like those trips have been more special than any of the other trips I have taken.
As I continued up, I noticed the other people I passed were not catching me. I kept walking up, but after a solid hour of hiking, only stopping for photos, I decided to eat a snack. I took a long break, drinking a lot of water and eating but still no one was in sight. I continued on the trail, and was at the top of Hurricane Hill by 1:00 pm. It was windy and cold up at the top. I used my snowshoes to pat down a big area, laid my rain jacket out, bundled up, and sat to eat my lunch. I also pulled out a thermos of hot coffee. I had poured this at 8:15 am, and it was still hot when I drank it almost 5 hours later. While eating lunch and drinking coffee, my cell phone dinged with a text message. I went to check it, and sure enough I had 5 bars of 3G coverage. If I was a Verizon customer, this would be normal, but I use AT&T. Unable to resist the temptation, I updated facebook, and checked-in at Hurricane Hill.
After about 35 minutes, I was too cold to stay seated, and I took off down the hill. I was burning up in a matter of minutes. I took some layers off and continued to walk out. Around 2:15 pm, I met a group of 5 people, people I did not see on my way out, and they were heading to the top. Two of the five were former park rangers. We had a great chat, and they were some really nice people. I continued on, and did not see anyone else until I was back on the road. By 3:15 pm, I was back at the Hurricane Ridge Visitor's Center. It was definitely worth the trip back.
Orchid: Hot coffee on top of the hill.
Onion: Facebook in the backcountry, wish I could have resisted.
Picture:
Google Map
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