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07/15/08 - Klahane Ridge

The Klahane Ridge hike is one of the most spectacular in Olympic National Park. From the ridge there are views north of the Dungeness Spit, the San Juan Islands, Mount Baker and points beyond, and views south of the Olympic Mountains, including Mount Olympus with its Blue Glacier. It is a 1450' climb through hanging gardens and alpine meadows and, while exhausting, every step is rewarding.

We start the hike from Hurricane Ridge Road a mile or two before the lodge at Hurricane Ridge. A part of the road collapsed near the trailhead, so there is a bit of construction and a bit less parking there. The little stream near the road is now hidden behind a mound of road material, but it is still there, as is the umbrella tree forest and the meadows and gardens above.

This year there was more moisture, so the flowers are spectacular with great spikes of lupine, arrays of turk's cap lilies, gauntlets of cow parsnips, fields of indian paintbrush and great swathes of richly scented phlox. Summer has come to the high country. The snow has vanished, and the hanging gardens are in bloom. We can tell already that this is going to be a great year for the mountain flowers.

Melting snow, Dungeness Spit, the San Juan Islands and points north

A field of phlox

The Olympic Mountains as seen from Klahane Ridge

Lush alpine meadows

A glorious year for the flowers

The hanging gardens

Some lupines by the trail

Keywords: flowers, high country, hurricane ridge, klahane ridge, mount baker

07/01/08 - Expedition: Hurricane Hill

The Hurricane Hill Trail is not only open, but this may be the best year yet for alpine flowers. There are great banks of phlox, fields of glacier lilies, indian paintbrush, and great stands of lupine. The good snowpack this winter means more water, and the plants are making the most of it. This really looks like a spectacular season for exploring the high country.

As for the trail itself, it is largely clear of snow except for that section shaded by trees that runs from the open area near the Wind The Sculptor sign to The Hamper. (We call it that because it is full of dirty sock plant in the high season). Even that section, perhaps a few hundred feet long, is melting rapidly, and the snow is walkable if you take care.

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Flowers and more flowers

Is this some kind of plover?

Lots of glacier lilies


The north face melting has begun.

Fields of phlox

Keywords: flowers, high country, hurricane hill, summer


There are fields of phlox.

06/28/08 - Hurricane Hill Road Is Open

We were up at Hurricane Ridge yesterday and had a pleasant surprise. Hurricane HIll Road is open. On our last visit, the road had been partially plowed, as far as the first picnic area, and was open for hikers. Now the road is open for traffic all the way to the Hurricane Hill trailhead.

Being lazy sorts, we decided to walk, rather than drive, so we set out from the lodge along the road. The snow is melting fast. The views are spectacular, as usual. The big show is the flowers. We have never seen so many and so many all at once. Already, there are lupines, phlox, glacier and avalanche lilies, indian paintbrush, yarrow, and a good many we don't know the names of. There were even mushrooms, which are not all that common a mile up. Clearly, the wet winter, with nearly twelve feet of snow, had something to do with this.

As it turned out, Friday was the first day the road was open. The Hurricane Hill trail is generally clear, though there was a big pile of snow near the start, and the rangers reported a fair bit of snow in that shady patch about a mile along. Next time, we aren't going to be so lazy. We are going to drive out to the trailhead and get to the top of Hurricane Hill. Wish us luck.

The air is scented with phlox.

Some early lupines

Glacier lilies

Drunkard's Corner: We noticed the wobbly line this time. Next time, we'll drive, but we'll stay sober.

Keywords: flowers, hurricane hill, hurricane ridge, summer

06/23/08 - Hurricane Hill Road

Snowshoe season is over, but Hurricane Hill Road is stilled closed, at least to traffic. The park service has plowed the road for about a mile, to the first picnic area. The rest rooms there are still buried under mounds of snow, but a lot of the road is completely clear. We took a walk, and we can report that the first flowers of the season are coming out. The phlox, with its small white flowers is covering the hillsides and scenting the air. We've also spotted little yellow avalanche lilies, some yarrow and a few brilliant paint brush.

Insert a picture here

If you smell something sweet this time of the year, it is probably the phlox.

There are also avalanche lilies.

There's also some indian paintbrush.

It looks like the mountains have made it through the winter.

Keywords: flowers, hurricane hill, winter

06/13/08 - Flowers At Lake Crescent

Winter lingered a lot longer than we had hoped this year, so we've been desperately looking for signs of spring. Well, we've found some. For example, we have several nearly ripe strawberries in our yard. If anything, they're a bit early. On the Spruce Railroad Trail today, the roses were out along with a few other flowers that we should recognize by name, but didn't. For your enjoyment, here are a few pictures.



Keywords: flowers, spring, spruce railroad, lake crescent

04/14/08 - Signs Of Spring - Hope (For Spring) Springs Eternal

We have been rather desperate for signs of spring. Even in mid-April the temperature still drops into the 30s nightly, and there is fresh snow on the mountains. The landscape at Lake Crescent was barren, but we did see two local salamanders, undersized, but healthy as they basked on the muddy trail. To our surprise, there was some Indian paintbrush blooming on the descent just east of the bridge at the Devil's Punchbowl.

This is rather pathetic for this time of year, but we will take what we can get. Two salamanders and a few feeble flowers aren't much. The thaw has barely started, and the lake water is low. Still, there are some signs of progress.



Keywords: flowers, lake crescent, salamander, spring

03/29/08 - Flowering Currant at Morse Creek

This is one of the coldest, latest springs in recent memory. It is at least a month behind, but we are seeing a few signs. For example, the currant bushes are finally flowering on the Morse Creek trail. (You can tell the late season is slowing us down, or we'd be doing more adventurous trails at this time of year).

At long last

Keywords: flowers, morse creek, spring, trails

02/22/08 - Shore Road Nursery Has Closed

We have sad news. Shore Road Nursery has closed. Dave Allen had been running it for years, specializing in native plants. It was a wonderful place, and full of surprises, much like the North Olympic Peninsula itself.

The good news is that Dave Allen is now working for Olympic National Park, specializing in badly needed restoration work. Our local national park is a treasure. We're glad that its future is in such good hands.

In better times than these

Keywords: flowers, port angeles

01/16/08 - Signs Of The Season

We were down at Morse Creek, walking west along the Discover Trail towards Port Angeles. It is mid-January, so it is surely still winter, but we also found our first signs of spring. Check out the salmonberry flowers! This was just one bush in a sheltered area by a stream at the base of the bluff, but the flowers were out.

There was a river otter on one of the rocks. This isn't a very good photo. We are still learning what we can and can't do with our new camera. Our picture of a great blue heron came out better. We don't see as many of them as we used to back in the Boston area, but they like the mouth of the Lee's Creek, maybe because of the fresh water.

The first salmonberry flowers of the season

A great blue heron

The river otters were out

Keywords: flowers, morse creek, port angeles, spring, winter, salmon, otters

10/09/07 - First Signs of WInter, Last Signs of Summer

Hurricane Ridge Road had been closed, and we were sure it had been closed for the season. We were wrong. The road is open, so up we went to Klahane Ridge.

This has been an odd year. We missed the usual late summer drying. By September, most of the alpine flowers are past their bloom and rather sere. This year, the lupines were blossoming into autumn, and the hillsides covered with flowers.

The lupines are gone, but even in October, there are a few blossoms - yarrow, Indian paintbrush, and even a few of those violet harebells. There was a bit of ice on the trail, and some slushy segments. The ice freezes under the soil. When you step on it, the soil compacts and the water flows making the ground slippery. Slime ice, we called it, but it dries out in an hour or two and turns into good old fashioned mud.

The last summer flowers, the first winter snow

First bit of snow on Klahane Ridge

Still a bit of Indian paintbrush
We aren't sure of how much snow has fallen in the high country. Obstruction Point Road is closed, but it is a rather twisty, unsealed road, so there may just be ice in one of the dark patches. According to the web camera at Hurricane Ridge there has been a bit of snow at 5200 feet, but it has all melted. Even at Klahane Ridge, on the north face, perhaps at 6000', there are just patches of snow. Still, looking across at the Blue Glacier and Mount Olympus, over 7000', the mountains are looking whiter.

New snow on the Olympic glaciers

Keywords: autumn, flowers, high country, hurricane ridge, klahane ridge, obstruction point, winter

09/08/07 - Klahane Ridge Revisited - Again

We spend a lot of time on Klahane Ridge, or so it seems. Actually, we would spend more if we could. The flowers are passing, but the vegetation is still lush and the view is, as ever, beautiful.

A view of the mountains

A field of purple harebells - yes, the ground really does slope like that

Late season lupines - sort of an obsession of ours, along with mushrooms

Keywords: flowers, klahane ridge

08/31/07 - Obstruction Point

Obstruction Point Road is dusty but open. There is still time to explore the high country. It has been a strange summer though. The lupines are still blooming, even as some foliage starts turning its autumn crimson. As we write this, a light rain is falling in Port Angeles, and we are sure that the unusual wet weather is one reason the high country flowers have been so spectacular and long lasting this year.

Some fall color is coming in

There are still lupines in bloom

Still some snow, even in late August

Keywords: autumn, flowers, high country, obstruction point

08/23/07 - Hurricane Hill Flowers

As we have noted before, this has been a wonderful year for the wildflowers in the high country. Hurricane Hill is still in full bloom. As you can see, there are even freshly blooming lupines, and, if you can believe it, mushrooms. The soil is usually so dry this time of year that most flowers are withered, but this year has been so moist that even the mushrooms are out. The corn lilies are out as well. They are on that side spur off the Hurricane Hill trail that heads down to the Elwha Ranger Station. There were also a couple of other flowers of note including the eerie looking "Japanese witches" we show here. They look like the three witches in Kurosawa's Throne of Blood, his retelling of Macbeth. Also looking somber were these other stalks, just coming into bloom. They look like traditional Victorian mourning colors. They'd be something in Paramatta silk.

Late season lupines

Actual mushrooms

Corn lilies in bloom

Japanese witches

Victorian mourning colors

Keywords: flowers, high country, hurricane hill, victoria

08/16/07 - Best Late Alpine Flower Season Ever

This has been an unusual summer. Usually the alpine blossoms on Klahane Ridge are getting a bit peaked by now, but this year the blossoming is going strong. These are lupines, seemingly in their prime.

Late lupines on Klahane Ridge

Keywords: klahane ridge, flowers

07/04/07 - Did we mention bog orchids?

Even if you don't climb the Switchback Trail all the way up to Klahane Ridge, check out the little waterfall near the trailhead. If you notice a wonderful sweet smell, it is probably the bog orchids. They are starting to bloom as you can see, and the scent is fantastic.

Keywords: flowers, klahane ridge, waterfall

06/17 - Hurricane Hill Trail Open For The Season

The road past the lodge at Hurricane Ridge is open, and the the Hurricane Hill trail from the end of the road is almost completely snow free. There are a few patches in that wooded section, but the snow is melting fast. The flowers are blooming, and the scenery is spectacular. The high country is opening for the season.

We drove up to Hurricane Ridge on a gray, unprepossessing day. There was a foggy stretch from above Heart of the Hills to a fair ways past the tunnel, but then we were above the fog and the mountains views were clear. As an extra bonus, in addition to the mountains, the flowers and the trail, there were marmots.

We saw three Olympic golden marmots, unique to the region, and they were doing quite well, thank you. They were trundling around, digging burrows and checking out the tourists. One of them was rummaging about just to the side of the trail and seemed quite unperturbed by his or her audience. It is definitely time to head for the hills.

Can you spot the golden marmot?
(It's to the right of the trail).

Click on this, or any other, shot for a larger version.

The Olympic Golden Marmot

The alpine gardens are blooming.

The phlox perfumes the trail.

The lupines are out, already!

There is scenery too.

Keywords: hurricane hill, marmots, high country, flowers, hurricane ridge

05/17/07 - Peashoot Season at Johnston Farm

The peashoots aren't much to look at. The plants are still pretty small, but the flowers are blooming, and the shoots are still tender. We didn't even know that peashoots were edible until we had them in dumplings at Yank Sing in San Francisco. Pea vines seemed too fibrous for easy eating, and it seemed a shame to eat the shoots and then not have any peas. Now, we know that the young tendrils and leaves are delicious sauteed in sesame oil or olive oil, or just steamed. We add garlic or asian chives or soy sauce for a bit more flavor, but they are very simple to cook.

We can wait for the peas, but the peashoots are here now. They'll be at the Farmers' Market very soon, so keep your eyes open, or drop by The Johnston Farm.

Keywords: farms, food, flowers, johnston farm, san francisco, farmers' market

05/11/07 - Great Year For Triliums at Lake Crescent

Last year there seemed to be an awful lot of trilliums along the Lake Angeles trail. This year, there seem to be an awful lot of triliums along the Spruce Railroad trail at Lake Crescent. Keep your eyes open. A lot of them are along the slow ascent at the eastern end of the trail, and it is easy to miss them with all the ferns and shrubs. Also, keep your eyes open for salamanders. They are out there, especially on wetter days.


Keywords: flowers, spruce railroad, lake angeles, lake crescent, salamander, trillium, kale

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