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04/01 - Elwha to Altair

Now that spring is here, we've been hiking from Madison Falls up along the Elwha to the Altair Bridge. Most of the route follows Olympic Hot Springs Road, but the road is cut off by the river not far from the trailhead, so we take the detour through the hills around the old, now flooded, campground.

We were well rewarded. Our goal was skunk cabbage, and there was lots of skunk cabbage, especially past the ranger station as we approached the bridge. It grows in the drainage ditches and flooded areas of forest.

We also saw the fawn lilies. The first few are out with their delicate stalks and lovely hanging flowers. There were also a few trilliums, not many, but enough to convince us that spring has come.


A fawn lily

Our first trillium of the season






Skunk cabbage

The old work area across from the ranger station

Skunk cabbage in the forest


The view from the bridge



The road is getting tired.


A fiddlehead




The mules are back in town.

Keywords: elwha, flowers, spring, trilliums

March 2025April 2025 Current Home Page