The Best Experiences are not always the Easiest

The best visit to the Olympics goes on high. Olympic National Park, much like North Cascades, is a climber’s park. Standing atop one of the many peaks gives you a true experience to the wild wonderland.

The Olympic Range takes up the northwestern corner of Washington, rugged mountains incised by deep heavily forested canyons. Weather has more in common with the coast of British Columbia and southeastern Alaska, the wettest region of the lower 48 States. The wet ensures magnificent glaciers, the only ones in Washington outside of the Cascades.

There are no roads crossing the wilderness, only a few extending a short way in. To see and witness the wild, you must walk. Walking only gets you so far here, however, the true magnificence awaits off trail. But then to get off trail, because of the heavy vegetation, you have to, first, get high.

I have climbed mostly in the eastern part of the Olympic range. My other exposures to these mountains limited to more touristic sections found on the northern fringe of the park. The season is rather short. No ski resorts extend the season throughout the year, except for the limited resource of Hurricane Ridge. Weather is a major factor at anytime, but especially so outside of July-early October. And without the possibility of the incredible views, what is the purpose of pushing oneself into the efforts involved.

Hurricane Ridge

For the car-bound, the only opportunity at witnessing what the Olympics are about can be found at the end of the road up Hurricane Ridge. Here views extend deep into the peninsula down the Elwha valley and its tributaries. The road here dates to the 1950’s when attempts were made to increase the seasonal use of the park. In the winter, the little ski hill is open Friday through Sunday – with Monday holidays through the winter, as well. Be aware there is a reason for the name, as weather plays a significant role up here.

An easy paved 1.6 mile trail extends further to the top of Hurricane Hill – 5,757 feet high. From here, you can contrast the views of the interior to those across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Victoria on Vancouver Island. One time I was up here taking in the view. A nuclear submarine from the nearby base at Bangor on Hood Canal was cruising westwards. While I watched, the conning tower slipped under the cold waters of the strait perhaps not to come up again for many months ahead.

That same outing, I looked down one ravine at a black bear munching on the remains of probably what had been a deer.

The King – Mount Olympus

Mount Olympus is a big draw. The highest mountain in the Olympic range – 7,980 feet high – you have to commit several days to approaching and climbing up the glaciers to the peak. Weather is key here. You have over 5,000 vertical feet to gain with 17.5 miles of trail leading in from the Hoh Rain Forest to Glacier Meadows where official trails end. Climbers need to be experienced in both snow and rock from here.

Sometimes the views are better from off peak than the true summit. Here, the views from atop the High Divide trail above the Seven Lakes Basin atop the Solduc valley are hard to beat. Since you are looking south, you need to time your photographs for early or late in the day as you look across the Hoh valley to the glaciers surrounding the multipeaked Olympus. This area is very popular requiring permits and camping is only allowed in specified campsites.

Mount Anderson

Time has never allowed me the chance to stand atop Olympus. I hear that Mount Anderson is an experience that equals. Anderson stands in the hydrological center of the Olympic peninsula. From its glaciers, streams flow west to the Pacific, north to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and east to Hood Canal. Like Olympus, Anderson is not a day hike. The formerly nine mile approach has been lengthened to 17.4 miles due to road washouts in the early 2000’s along the Dosewallips Road coming in from the east.

The Dosewallips Road was originally planned to cut through the peninsula to Lake Quinault on the west side of the mountains. Construction began in 1930 but was never completed due to the establishment of the Olympic park in 1938. The additional 6.5 miles on the washed out section of the road means the approach is about the same as if you were to come up the Quinault River through Enchanted Valley – around 15-16 miles, but a much longer drive. Other multi-day options exist from the Staircase entrance to the south or the Duckabush to the east, but these require multiple passes requiring significant additional vertical feet to be gained and lost.

my climb-Approach

My outing is an older affair predating my infatuation with corgis. The Olympic National Park does not allow dogs to walk in the park outside of a very few trails. I was able to cut out the 6.5 mile road walk – 13 mile round trip – however, because the road had not washed out yet.

We hiked about 9 miles in to camp at Honeymoon Meadows – permits are needed for the backcountry costing $5 per person plus $2 per night up to 15 days. Permits are also needed at certain backcountry campsites where quotas exist to limit the number of hiker-campers. I do not remember an entrance station for the Dosewallips and that is because the road ends in the National Forest which surrounds the park. Entrance fees to the park are $30 for a seven day pass.

The hike up the Dosewallips is long and rather uneventful. You are deep in the canyon surrounded by peaks towering 4,000 feet or more above. The old growth forest further limits visibility.

From Honeymoon Meadows, you continue to climb to Anderson Pass – 4,464 feet high. There are two higher campsites closer to the climb you can choose – Camp Siberia on the east side of the Pass and a few limited sites nearer to Anderson Glacier. Anderson Glacier lies on a side trail off Anderson Pass a little over a mile north.

stuck on flypaper

The true peak is known as West Peak – 7,365 feet high. The East Peak comes in at 7,330 feet. Climbing the East Peak is hard enough, the West entails more time on rotten rock. While the East Peak is the hydrologic center of the Olympics, the West Peak is the geographic center. Either way, you are truly in the middle of the wild up here.

From the trail end at the bottom of the Anderson Glacier, you put on the crampons and head up for a little gap in the center called Flypaper Pass. Flypaper because climbers making their way up or down appear to be stuck on flypaper, steep as the chute appears.

summit in the middle of the olympics

Over the top, you have to descend a short way onto the Eel Glacier. Earlier in the season, significant snowbridges exist crossing the bergschrund from the pass onto the glacier. Later in the season, these bridges may not be there. In that case, you may have to abort.

You then descend on the Eel Glacier and circle around the rock rib hiding East Peak from sight. Ascend on one of the branches of the Eel up to almost the summit where over a short rock piece gains the summit. The views are incredible with the entire range scattered before you. Glaciers of Olympus beckon fifteen miles of trail-less wilderness or so in a straight line to the west northwest.

times change

The year I climbed Anderson, everything seemed timeless. Frozen in time is not something glaciers seem good at lately. Amazingly, the glacier has disappeared with only snowfields present now. Climate change is fake news though, right?

Eel Glacier is reported to have lost 50% of its surface area between 1920 and 2009 by the Park Service, as well.

Staircase Peaks in the Park

Staircase Rapids entrance on the far southeast corner of the park is another popular point of entry into the park. Located deep within the North Fork of the Skokomish River canyon, most people limit themselves to day hikes among the giant ancient trees. Another harder and longer option is a day hike to Flapjack Lakes – a gain of 3,115 feet and 7.8 miles one way.

The lakes – 3,850 feet high – are very pretty laid out beneath the towering crags of the Sawtooth Ridge. It makes a nice campsite, but you have to get permits in advance – along with the backcountry permit – as there is a quota. Mountain goats will probably clamber about your camp at some point during the early morning hours in search of salt in the form of sweat on pack shoulder straps.

Mount lincoln

From the lakes, most climbers will make for Mount Cruiser – 6,104 feet high – a true rock climb. My one climb in this area was up Mount Lincoln – 5,868 feet high. Cruiser is the northeastern high point of the ridge and Lincoln, the southwest.

Lincoln was not the true rock climb Cruiser is but comes with its own difficulties. Out of the lakes valley, you have a very steep snowfield to climb – up and back down. Falls on this piece are not allowed.

From the top of the snowfield, you descend a snow tongue on the other side mainly sticking to downclimbing in the crack between snow and rock. Last, you have another thousand foot climb up crumbly rock to gain the summit. Then you get to retrace your steps. The views are great, but the snowfield was very steep.

Staircase Peaks just outside the Park

The Sawtooth Ridge makes up part of the eastern border of the park. Beyond lies the Olympic National Forest. Wilderness continues over the drainage of the Hamma Hamma River in the form of the Mount Skokomish Wilderness Area. This area ends in the east atop the ridge running from Mount Washington – 6,255 feet – on the north and Mount Ellinor – 5,951 feet – on the south.

Both of these peaks are very popular, especially Ellinor. Early in the season, Ellinor features a thousand foot high snow tongue making for a fun glissade. Later in the season, it is a steep hike where hands are required at times. Washington is steeper. Here you need repeated vegetable belays – grab those bushes and hope they do not come loose! The views from either are superb. The right time of the day and you can make out the downtown towers in Seattle and Tacoma. Hood Canal, Mount Rainier and the panoply of Olympic peaks transfix you.

Wildlife

There are bears to be found all over the park. Bear cans are required for some backcountry camps. Roosevelt elk are abundant, especially in the Hoh and Quinault valley. And mountain goats.

I have always run into one or more in the Staircase regions up high. Mountain goats are not native to the Olympic range but brought in the 1920’s. They have thrived throughout the ranges. In 2018 there were estimated to be 725 goats wandering about. In the following two years, 384 were captured – 16 given to zoos and 325 set loose in the Cascades where they are native. The others died either in capture, transport or a few were lethally removed on grounds where capture was impossible. It will not be the same climbing up the mountains without seeing the goat fur on the bushes.