06/23/21 - Hurricane Hill

06/16/21 - Summer Along the Elwha

As usual, we went a bit beyond the road gate and looked for the waterfall across the river. We saw it, but, as usual this time of year, this meant a glimpse now and then revealed through the foliage. Eventually, we'll head on and check out the old dam overlook, but it's a two hour hike for us just to cross the bridge. Next time maybe.

04/13/21 - Up The Elwha To Altair

Already, the columbines and trilliums are coming out, and the skunk cabbage is nearing its peak. The river is still calm before the spring melt, but with ten plus feet of snow at Hurricane Ridge, we expect an impressive flow when the melting begins in earnest. We'll keep coming back to see how things progress.

02/05/20 - To The Altair Bridge and Beyond

As we approached the road again, we could see water rushing by. The side channel that destroyed the old Elwha campground was borrowing a bit of the road. The detour took us out dry shod, and we continued along the road towards the bridge. There were signs of wind damage with twigs and branches on the ground, all the little streams were full of racing water, and here and there, in shady places, there were patches of snow and ice.

We crossed the bridge and walked a few minutes farther along the road, past the gate, for a view of our favorite little waterfall across the river. It was easy to spot even with the trees along the road blocking it. We headed back with our eyes open and were rewarded with the first skunk cabbage shoots of the year. It was not a particularly spring-like walk. It was a winter walk, but we could tell spring would be coming sooner or later.

01/08/20 - Olympic Hot Springs Road Still Closed

01/08/20 - Olympic Hot Springs Road Still Closed

06/28/19 - To the Altair Bridge Again

06/06/19 - To The Elwha Dam Overlook

05/19/19 - Again, to the Altair Bridge

As usual, we stopped to soak our feet in the river. A bit later, we had to step to the side of the trail to let a mule team get by. The park service people and animals were heading out to do trail work. The mules were new to the area and a bit skittish. We did our best to keep them calm.

The river is still pretty high, so the park service might just be waiting for it to go down, but we're guessing that they won't be setting up the temporary bridges the way they did last year. Despite this, we'll be back in a week or two to follow the spring progression and we'll let you know the latest.

05/06/19 - To the Altair Bridge

04/15/19 - Spring Flowers on the Elwha Detour

The detour trail heads up past a work area at the end of the service road and then heads higher to a junction with the Cascade Rock trail. There are glimpses of the Elwha along the way as it follows the ridge past the washout. After the junction the trail goes down a bit, then up a bit, then slowly descends behind the old campground. There is a sturdy tributary of the Elwha running between the trail and the collapsed campground pavilion.

The trail lets out a bit past the washout but before the ranger station and work area. It took us about 45 minutes from Madison Falls, so it would be another 15 or 20 minutes to the Altair bridge. We didn't make it that far, at least not this time.

03/02/19 - Winter on the Elwha

As noted above, the water was almost black and framed by the brilliant white snow. The trees were gray and bare. We continued along the road, lured by the snow capped mountains beyond. There is almost never this much snow in this area. This has been a very snowy winter. We made it to the first river crossing where the park service usually has a small metal truss bridge except that the bridge was gone. The channel ran dark and deep before us. No fools, we turned around and made our way back to Madison Falls.

While the hiking is rather limited, it was well worth coming out and exploring. There is that back trail around the flooded area, but we've yet to try it. For now, at least, we'll enjoy that part of the river that we can get to.

12/01/18 - Olympic Hot Springs Road Closed

10/20/18 - End of the Season

The mules are vanishing too. They're probably off to their winter homes. The area is closing down for the season. It isn't going to close completely. There is a trail, but the wide easy road is closed.

08/24/18 - Back to the Elwha - The Smokey Bottom Trail

07/20/18 - Farther Along The Elwha

We made our way to the next new tributary of the Elwha, where the river had carved a pair of passages across the roadway. There were now a pair of bridges in place. We continued on and were soon at the ranger station and construction facility across the way. We continued past the turn off for Whiskey Bend Road and on to the bridge right before the old Altair campground.

That was far enough for us. We were just out exploring. It is going to be some time before this area is open to public vehicular traffic. Supposedly, the park service is evaluating an alternate route around the new branch of the Elwha. For now, the temporary bridges let the park service keep up trail maintenance and make it easier for visitors to walk in. Unfortunately, they'll be gone this winter. The Elwha is a wild river now, and no one wants to lose those temporary spans to the winter flood.

06/14/18 - Can I Ride The Mules?

05/25/18 - Elwha River Update

The park is making the best of the situation. They can't conjure a road from nowhere. Along with many of our favorite trails, there's a park ranger station and work area cut off by the river. There is a temporary trail around the wash out, and while it isn't suitable for cars, it is apparently human and mule friendly. We saw a group of laden mules taking the route.

The river is as beautiful as ever, but the trails out of Whiskey Bend and to Olympic Hot Springs are still inaccessible. This will probably be the situation for some time.