Panorama
View of Seattle
You can drive to the summit of Mt Walker (4 miles of gravel road after leaving the highway a few mile south of Quilcene WA). The view is different by the minute as the weather changes … in this case the clouds added to the drama. The brownish area in the foreground is the Bangor Naval Base … the water areas are both Puget Sound.
Views from Hurricane Hill
We recently took a hike to the top of Hurricane Hill in the Olympic National Park. It’s fairly short (1.8 miles one way) and not too steep … but it’s a very popular hike and crowded. I call it a hike, but it is paved all the way to the top. One of the nicest wheelchair accessible hikes that I know of. Once on top, there is a great 360 degree panorama. To the north, there is a nice view of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Vancouver Island (and Victoria), plus the San Juan Islands and Mt Baker.
To the south, the mountains and valleys of the central Olympics stretch out before you.
Stormy Weather
I like stormy weather (as long as there’s no damage and as long as I’m inside … or at least dry). These two images are of frontal systems coming in and both brought high winds … and both blew over and there wasn’t any damage. And both provided a good photo op.
Mt Ellinor
Mt Ellinor and Mt Washington provide the south end of the view of the Olympics from the Seattle area. There is a trail that runs to the top of Ellinor, while Mt Washington is an ‘easy’ more technical climb. The stunning views from the summit of Ellinor provide an attraction that draws thousands of hikers each summer. (Hint: avoid summer weekends. Don’t expect solitude.) There are several different trailheads, letting the hiker choose the length and strenuousness of the hike. A dusty gravel logging road provides access to the higher trailheads. The view from the top of Ellinor includes a view of Lake Cushman (below).
From the summit of Elinor, you can see Mt Washington and the Puget Sound basin, including Mt Baker (on the far left skyline, below) and Mt Rainier.
Turning the other direction you have a stunning view of the southern and central Olympics (below).
