Tag: Mt Ellinor

Mount Washington

Mt Washington from Mt Ellinor

Mount Washington is outside the Olympic National Park (but in the Olympic National Forest) … but it is visible from Seattle as one of the two major peaks (along with Mt Ellinor) on the south end of the western skyline. I took this from the shoulder of Mt Ellinor … which has a trail to its summit and I have been up Ellinor a number of times (along with thousands of others … some carrying coolers and “boom boxes”). If you go in the off season, you can still find solitude… or at least more so than in summer. I have not been up Mt Washington, however. It is a more technical climb … although still in the ‘easy’ category.

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Alpine Trees

Subalpine Trees – 1

I am ever surprised at the harsh environments that life can find a way to survive in. The image above shows some of the stress that these trees are under from wind and snowpack. This is up at over a mile in elevation at Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park. Below is a different part of the Olympic Mountains (outside of the park) … but the group of trees are still up in a subalpine area on Mt Ellinor.

Subalpine Trees – 2

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Clouds: From Above and Below

Clouds: From Above

This shot is taken from the upper trailhead to Mt Ellinor in the SE corner of the Olympic Mountains (but outside of the National Park). Notice the ‘crepuscular’ rays that coming down from the upper clouds. I hadn’t seen such very often.

Clouds: From Below

This image is taken up the valley of the North Fork Skokomish not too far from where the upper image was taken. Although from several thousand feet lower and on a different day.

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Mt Ellinor

Mt Ellinor – Mt Washington Complex

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).

Lake Cushman and the Ellinor/Washington complex.

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.

Mt Ellinor – Mt Washington Ridge

Turning the other direction you have a stunning view of the southern and central Olympics (below).

View to the Northwest from the summit of Mt Ellinor

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The Skokomish Range from Mt Ellinor

Skokomish Range from Mt Ellinor

This was a late fall hike to the summit of Mt Ellinor and the view northeast to some of the Skokomish Range (the southeast corner of the Olympic Mountains … and outside of Olympic National Park). It was a light snow year … typically by mid-November the snow is deep enough to cut off access. While the weather here looks great, on the way back down (the opposite direction from the view here, and much easier traveling) the clouds moved in and it was socked in with thick fog. Good thing I knew where I was.

Fog on Mt Ellinor

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