Outdoor adventures, mostly gravel rides, but not always
Lower elevation adventure ride on the Olympic Peninsula
In January the higher elevation forest service roads are covered in snow & ice and inaccessible, safely, by bike. Wanting to ride some forest service roads, I opted for one of the lower elevation areas which is muddy and cold but generally snow free. The area around Big Skidder Hill is closed to vehicles but open to walker and bikes so it’s a wonderful place to ride in the winter.
Fall colors, blue tarns, yellow meadow, fiery reds, grey mountains; an ideal fall hike
With the changing fall colors, I wanted to return to Royal Basin to take in the scene. Last time we ran as much as we hiked but this time I went alone and spent a significant amount of time photographing the colors and the abundant small waterfalls and rushing creeks.
A walk back into history among an old mine and the remains of a January 1952 plane crash
The road to the trailhead, FS 2870, received a much needed road grading (in fact, the grader was still operating and let us pass) so the road is in wonderful condition – any vehicle can make it easily.
A tumbling creek, huckleberries, & views - a delightful hike in the woods
The hike to Tunnel Creek showed up in my Strava feed, and with no firm plans for the weekend, off I went. The views looked nice and the hike wasn’t an elevation or distance killer so it wouldn’t consume the entire day. I also really love hiking along creeks & rivers to photograph baby waterfalls.
A spectacular loop hike of two valleys of meadows, lakes, and streams
The smoke cleared so R. and I decided to return to Hurricane Ridge for a full-day loop of the Grand and Badger Valleys. I had last been to the area in 2013 so I was looking forward to a return trip and seeing some trails I had never covered or didn’t see because eight years ago we covered the trail in a complete fog whiteout.
A reconnaissance trip in smoke filled skies salvaging a bit of the day
R. and I had a three-day, two-night trip planned from Obstruction Point and through Grand Valley with two nights at Upper Cameron, an area of the Park I’ve never seen. Unfortunately we were hit with the double-whammy of an excessive heat warning and an air quality alert from forest fire smoke. We talked it over with a few Rangers at the WIC in Port Angeles and ultimately decided, after a few re-routing discussions, to cancel the trip and try another time when the conditions improved.
An easy beach trail along the Olympics' South Coast
A tale of so many fronts: sun, fog, thicker fog, sun breaks. “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes” was never truer advice.
A beautiful alpine meadow filled with wildflowers & views
The upper meadow at Marmot Pass is one of my favorite locations in the Olympics having hiked there a few times. The WTA reports suggested the wildflowers were in bloom – perfect!
A short and steep loop to expansive views into the heart of the Olympics
With record breaking heat descending on the PNW, I sought relief in the mountains and took advantage of the snow melt to photograph wildflowers. I really enjoyed this loop and until recently it was not on my radar; nor others apparently because very few trip reports were available at the WTA.
A day hike to the Mt Townsend summit from the Little Quilcene River trailhead
A nice day hike to Mt Townsend from a new-to-me trailhead. The wildflowers are out in force and the trail is in great shape without a single blow down.
