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07/23/14 - Obstruction Point Revisited Obstruction Point Road opened a bit over a week ago, so we ventured out from Hurricane Ridge. It's a one and a half lane unpaved road, so we drove carefully to the parking lot at the edge of the high wilderness. Most of the snow on the trail had melted, so we made it all the way to where the trail drops off for the descent towards Grand Lake. Here, there was some snow on the trail, but otherwise, it was easy going.The high country here is wild and austere with dusty trails, cracked rocks and a profusion of wild flowers. There was some phlox and a few glacier lilies left, but there were so many flowers that we'll have to have a separate post just for them. Some years, the alpine lakes in the valleys below are covered with snow, but this year, the snows have melted early, so they are all full of water and almost like distant mirrors. |
 The view down the staircase |
 The last few glacier lilies |
 A last bit of phlox |
 One of the seasonal lakes |
 More lakes - the one on the left with icebergs |
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 The mountains |
 More mountains |
 Melting snow |
 The trail |
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Keywords: flowers, high country, obstruction point, trails
| The theme of our last climb was critters. This week it is flowers. To be honest, we didn't really see many critters this trip. The sky was crystalline, and the day was warm. The marmots, and even the chipmunks, were most likely avoiding the heat of the day. The flowers have no such desire or option, so they were out in full force. We have never seen so much larkspur out on the hillside. The paintbrush was glorious in shades of red and orange. There were shooting stars, turks cap lilies and bog orchids about. Maybe the lupines were a bit disappointing, but the full profusion more than compensated for it. |
 Crystalline sky and just a bit of snow left, looking north |
 We really need to get a flower identification book. You'd think someone would write an app. |
 The view south with even more crystalline sky |
 Paintbrush |
 Another mystery plant |
 Larkspur |
 Mixing it up |
 Shooting stars |
 This one blooms in the understory |
 Bog orchids |
 A slender bog orchid - It's a whole other type. |
Keywords: flowers, klahane ridge
| We panted and wheezed, but we made it up to Klahane Ridge again. The phlox and glaicer lilies are passing, but the next round of flowers is just coming out. Our theme this post is critters. It wasn't as busy as Hurricane Hill, but there were four, or perhaps five, mountain goats on the crags above us, and at least one marmot about on the ridge itself. The young stag we saw on our last climb was still enjoying the local vegetation, but the real surprise was the black bear we saw. We only saw it because a fellow climber pointed it out, just a black dot below us on the hillside. This is the kind of luck we plan for, so we had or binoculars and modestly priced ultrazoom point and shoot camera handy. |
 Mountain goats on a misty ridge |
 The land is green. |
 Mist at the ridge |
 But, great visibility - That's Mount Baker. |
 Looking down to the north |
 Our marmot friend |
 Looking up |
 The young stag |
 The violets are brilliant this year. |
 A black bear at a safe distance |
 Toad lilies |
Keywords: flowers, animals, klahane ridge, mountain goats
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06/26/14 - The Critters of Hurricane Hill The flowers are near their peak on Hurricane Hill. The phlox may even be a touch past its peak, though its scent lingers. The lupines are blooming, as are the western wallflowers, glacier lilies, rock larkspur, avalanche lilies and yarrows. The marmots are out and active, as are the deer. There was also a mountain goat wandering about. The park service seems to have fitted this one with a collar. These can be dangerous animals, so we kept our distance.While we were exploring, clouds and mist were rising in the north, and by the time we were heading back, they had engulfed the top of Hurricane Hill. Through the mists we could see a blue lake forming from the melted snow and a golden marmot cooling him or herself on the snow. This was a great day for the flowers and for critter spotting on Hurricane Hill, but our real surprise was on the drive out. Driving through the parking lot, we saw a mother bear with two cubs scampering along Sunrise Ridge. We didn't have time to take a photograph, but those were the first bears of the season. |
 The scenery |
 One of the many golden marmots |
 Western Wallflower and some phlox |
 Phlox and the mists |
 Marmot of the mist |
 Clouds from the north |
 Another view |
 A mountain goat |
 Even closer |
 Glacier lilies |
 Larkspur and paintbrush |
Keywords: animals, flowers, hurricane hill, marmots
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06/05/14 - Klahane Ridge Report We still aren't sure how we did it, but we managed to climb up the Switchback Trail and get all the way up to Klahane Ridge. We were sure that this was as early in the season we had ever managed the climb, but we actually did make it to the ridge on May 29th back in 2005, so it has been a while.This is always an exhausting hike, but the sense of the mountain and the spectacular views always make it worth the effort. This time that effort included having to clamber over a few remaining mounds of snow. The trail starts among trees in the ghost forest, then emerges onto the lush hill side. Most of the flowers have yet to bloom, though there was plenty of richly scented phlox and a lot of golden glacier lilies. As we climbed, the distant rocky ridges overhead drew closer, and our view expanded. At around 1000 feet above the parking lot, Sunrise Point no longer blocks the view of glacier covered Mount Olympus and its cousins. The sky is wide and sparkling. Of course, at the ridge, the view is panoramic with the Strait of San Juan de Fuca, Vancouver Island, and everything else in creation, it seems, distantly visible. We saw one lone marmot as we approached the ridge, but he or she - a matter primarily of interest to another marmot - dodged under a tree and some rocks. If we want to see marmots, we'll head back to Hurricane Hill. The high country is open. It looks like an early season. |
 The white stuff in the foreground is phlox. The white stuff in the background is snow. |
 The view |
 Mount Angeles |
 There were fields of richly scented phlox. |
 Phlox and more view |
 The view north of the strait |
 More phlox |
 The Olympic Mountains |
 Rocky fingers and lush green slopes |
 A glacier lily |
 This is a carnivorous plant growing not far from the parking lot. Click to enlarge the image and you can see the trapped insects. |
Keywords: flowers, high country, klahane ridge
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06/02/14 - Hurricane Hill Trail Report The Hurricane Hill Trail is open. On slow days, we have been heading up to Hurricane Ridge to watch the snow melt and glacier lilies blossom. Usually this time of year, there are ten foot high ramparts of snow at the far end of the parking lot. This year, the area was almost snow free, so it was only a small surprise that the road to the Hurricane Hill trailhead was open. The big surprise was that the trail was relatively free of snow. There were some patches and a long stretch, a section of the trail shaded by evergreens was still covered. Still, we made it to the summit.The trail is open early. We usually don't make it to the top of the hill until late June or even early July, but this year is different. The alpine flowers are already coming out, and not just the glacier lilies. The trail is scented with phlox. The paintbrush is out and the lupines are starting to bloom. Even the marmots are up and about. If you are planning a trip to Hurricane Ridge, it might make sense to plan to come early. The high country can be hard country, so it pays to sieze the day. |
 The trail is quite clear here. |
 This shaded corridor is the most snow covered part of the trail, but passable. |
 The views are spectacular. |
 A view from the summit |
 Another high country view |
 Lupines |
 Phlox |
 A marmot |
 Another marmot |
 Bachelors, out grazing |
 Paintbrush |
Keywords: flowers, high country, hurricane hill, hurricane ridge, marmots
| The trilliums are passing, but the Oregon grape is in bloom along with the pacific dogwood, tiarella and a few other flowers. This is the second wave, but it is coming right along. We've made it past the half way point to the lake, but we have a good bit of getting in shape ahead of us. Still, the high country beckons, so next time, excelsior. |
 We aren't sure what this is, but it's pretty. |
 Some latter day trilliums |
 Mahonia aka Oregon grape |
 Wild water at the crossing |
 More wild water |
 Pacific dogwood |
 ... and more dogwood |
 Tiarella |
 ... and more tiarella |
 New growth on the salal almost looks like flowers. |
 A sylvan collage |
Keywords: flowers, high country, oregon, trillium
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05/19/14 - Hurricane Ridge - Spring Report We drove up to Hurricane Ridge today to watch the snow melt and see if any flowers were in bloom. The road is completely clear, save for the usual runaway rocks. There was lupine in bloom at one of the lookouts, and as we approached the ridge proper, the first phlox of the season was in bloom.The snow is melting rapidly on the ridge. There were 57 inches of snow at the official snow stake, but there were plenty of clear patches, and there was less snow than we expected on the continuation of the road towards Hurricane Hill. Usually this time of year, there are eight or ten foot high ramparts, but this year they were much reduced. We wandered down the road a bit towards Hurricane Hill, and we're guessing that they'll open the road earlier than usual this year. Then we explored the parking lot and found them, glacier lilies. The first few were just buds with a touch of yellow, but a few were starting to open. The Hurricane Ridge flower season has begun. |
 Some mountains |
 Sunrise Peak |
 Melting snow |
 No ramparts here |
 The road to Hurricane Hill |
 Glacier lilies |
 Another glacier lily |
 A glacier lily starting to bloom |
 Yet another glacier lily |
 We aren't sure what this is, but it looks interesting. |
 Clouds and fog |
Keywords: flowers, hurricane hill, hurricane ridge
| The currant blossoms are late this year, but better late than never. |
 Currants in bloom on the trail west of Morse Creek |
Keywords: morse creek, flowers
| Whenever we climb up to Volunteer Park we make a point of checking out the conservatory. |
 Something like a pineapple |
 More exotics |
 Flowers |
 Fruits |
 Orchids |
 The reflecting pool at Volunteer Park |
 A community garden |
| Obstruction Point Road has already closed and the weather has been changeable. Instead of the usual September sun, our skies seem to be visitors from October. We hiked the Hurricane Hill Trail on a quiet day and watched Mount Olympus fuss with its wreath of clouds before vanishing. The marmots were out, but turning darker and browner for winter. Only their hindquarters were golden. We saw only a handful of flowers, dried yarrow, a few harebells, and the like. Instead we saw fall foliage with the grasses turning golden and leaves turning red and brown. |
 Golden fields and misty mountains |
 One of five marmots we saw |
 Another marmot in closeup - not very golden |
 A view |
 A misty view and changing colors |
 Mount Angeles |
 To the north, a touch of blue |
 The first bit of snow, near the summit |
 A band of gold |
 A mushroom |
 Last of the flowers |
Keywords: flowers, hurricane hill, marmots, obstruction point, weather, winter
| We were up on Klahane Ridge a few days ago. Summer is over. The lupines are long gone. In fact, there were only a handful of flowers left here and there. The hanging gardens are shutting down for the winter. It seems so soon. |
 View of Port Angeles |
 The Olympic Mountains |
 Along the ridge |
 More mountains |
 Towards Mount Angeles - Look closely, and you can see some lingering snow. |
Keywords: flowers, klahane ridge
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They just opened the road to Obstruction Point, so we drove out to take a short stroll. As it turned out, we hiked all the way to the "rim", the start of the big descent to Grand Lake. There was much less snow on the trail than usual, despite the early road opening. There was still some phlox and lots of lupines, and, if you looked carefully, you could see a few avalanche and glacier lilies about.
The lakes in the valley have already filled, and at least one of the tarns has already dried out. Still, there are patches of snow and a host of late season flowers including pink and red paintbrush, yarrows and hampers of dirty sock plant. We weren't sure we could make the climb from the parking lot to the plateau, but it turned out we could. We double dog dared each other at the staircase and descended warily, expecting a hard climb back up. Then, how could we not cross the meadows and check out the view of the valley where the melting snow fills seasonal lakes for our entertainment. From there, we were called to climb a bit higher and continue down the trail. We made our way to the rim. Grand Lake beckoned, but enough was enough. We slowly and ever so regretfully made our way back to our car. |
 Heather and sky |
 Heidi country |
 Mountains and valleys |
 Phlox |
 Lupines |
 Melting snow along the ridge |
 More melting snow |
 Flowers, lots of these |
 More melting snow, more mountains |
 Paintbrush |
 Lakes, or perhaps tarns |
Keywords: flowers, obstruction point
| Hurricane Hill is in season. Even the roses and corn lilies are out. The hills are thick with marmots, and the scenery is spectacular. If you can't reach us at home, we'll be hiking the trails. |
 A marmot surrounded by dirty sock plant |
 A buck on the snow |
 A marmot beating the heat |
 Melting snow |
 A rock garden |
 The mountains |
 The snow really does melt faster on the sunny side. |
 A mountain plover |
 Pasque flowers and corn lilies - yes corn lilies |
 One of the first roses |
 More mountains and flowers |
Keywords: flowers, hurricane hill, marmots, trails
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07/11/13 - Klahane Ridge - To The Top We made it to the top of Klahane Ridge the other day. As usual, it was a serious hike, but we pushed ourselves onward and made it to the ridge. The view north was cloudy, but the view south was spectacular. We rested a bit, and while we sat, we could watch the clouds to the north getting thicker and thicker. We rested longer, and then the clouds thinned and parted giving us a fairly good view north.The lower reaches of the trail are lined with lupines, larkspur, paintbrush, turk's cap lilies and a host of others. The upper reaches are scented by patches of phlox. The middle range of the trail has yet to blossom, and the trailsides lined with green. We'll have to climb again and see how the alpine summer progresses. |
 Imagine our disappointment. This was the view north. |
 Luckily the south view was fairly good. |
 Snow patches and lifting clouds |
 Mount Angeles |
 Phlox |
 Fields of phlox scenting the air. |
 The crags |
 A very green trail with flowers to come |
 Snow melting and feeding a stream |
 Flowers |
 and more flowers |
Keywords: flowers, klahane ridge, summer, trails
| Yes, we've already been back to Hurricane Hill - twice in fact. It is really beautiful up there. There weren't as many marmots this time, but we did see some other wonderful things. |
 The snow melt lake is forming below the peak. |
 The mountains - well, what can we say? |
 Green shoots |
 An early corn lily |
 We saw a mountain goat on a rocky hill side, at a good safe distance. |
 A marmot |
 The snow is melting quickly. |
 Glacier lilies blooming by the melting snow |
 Avalanche lilies growing in the shade |
 A little rock garden |
 Lupines |
Keywords: hurricane hill, marmots, flowers
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06/24/13 - Hurricane Hill - Part 2 - Summit and Flowers The summit of Hurricane Hill was surrounded by clouds. Our view degraded as we made our final ascent, scaring one poor marmot from his or her perch. Port Angeles and points north were invisible, hidden beneath the clouds. The entire north slope before us, sheltered from the sun, was covered in a thick layer of snow. It was quite dramatic.The marmots were still out as we descended and the fields were starting to blossom with glacier lilies, phlox, paintbrush, lupines and even some dirty sock plant. We didn't see any avalanche lilies, and the phlox didn't have its usual sweet scent. Still, it was a spectacular hike through the high country. |
 Another view north |
 The mountains shrouded by clouds |
 Fields of flowers |
 Yet another marmot |
 A snowshoe hare |
 The clouds would come and go. |
 A marmot with glacier lilies |
 Lupines and paintbrush |
 Larkspur |
 Lupines |
 Phlox |
Keywords: flowers, high country, hurricane hill, marmots
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The Switchback Trail to Klahane Ridge is a demanding trail, but one of the prettiest in the park. It is a 1500' climb, so the trailhead is usually free of snow well before the ridge itself. This time was no exception. We climbed the first 1000' before running into our first real wall of snow, which means we didn't make it to the top. Still, it was a wonderful climb, and this was probably the earliest in the season we had ever climbed this far.
Usually, by the time we can climb the first 1000' it is late June or early July, and the phlox is in bloom, scenting the air. The lupines will be coming out along with so many other flowers. This time, there was a lot of green, and there were lots of little yellow glacier lilies. We did spot some phlox, some paintbrush and a few other flower, but the hanging gardens are just starting to come into bloom. |
 The view from about 1000' |
 Our wall of snow - It extends for some way. |
 A snowy view from 1000' |
 Mount Angeles is still snow covered. |
 Some phlox |
 Some glacier lilies |
 The trail |
 A fritillary |
 Some paintbrush, just coming out |
 We aren't sure what this is, but it was pretty. |
 More flowers |
Keywords: flowers, klahane ridge
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