July 2022August 2022 September 2022

08/26 - Obstruction Point Road - Part 1

We took what is probably our last hike of the season out from Obstruction Point. The park is closing Obstruction Point Road on the day after Labor Day, and probably not reopening it until 2023. Hurricane Ridge Road is going to be closed a few weeks later as well. According to the park service, Hurricane Ridge Road was collapsing onto Obstruction Point Road below it, and they're hoping to have both roads more or less rebuilt and repaired in the next few months.

Meanwhile, we enjoyed the hike across the high country, down the staircase, then along the ridge with its spectacular views of Mount Olympus. We took the side spur out to Raven Rock and looked down at Moose Lake and Grand Lake way far below. I doubt we'll ever make the thousand foot plus descent. If nothing else, we'd have to climb back up which seems daunting.

We're past the peak flower season. Colors are already starting to change. We did see a blue grouse and her chicks scrabbling about in the dry grass not far from the trail. They are so well camouflaged that seeing them was just a matter of good fortune. We may get another chance to get up to the high country this season, but it we don't, this was a great way to say goodbye to it.


Top of the world

The high country trail

A bit of the staircase

Mountains across the valley

Our first peek at the plains of Mars

Foliage just starting to turn red

Still some lingering snow

Another bit of trail

Two lakes below

Another seasonal lake

Mountains and sky

Friable rock

Another spectacular view

Way down below

Early autumn colors

Fading fields

We'll miss the trail.

Blue mountains beyond

More on the hiking theme

Some more fall color and great scenery

More trail, color, snow and sky

Mount Olympus

Yet more of the trail

Keywords: high country, hurricane ridge, obstruction point


08/25 - Obstruction Point Road - Part 2

This is a continuation of our post on our last visit of the season to Obstruction Point Road with a bit more focus on details.

Some late lupines

Some flowers

Harebells and others

Paintbrush

Juniper

Yarrow

We're not sure what this is, but it's a great composition.

More flowers

And more flowers

Some fall flowering phlox

Paintbrush

Another bouquet

And another

A blue grouse

One of her chicks

Grousing

More grousing

There were three or four grouse chicks.

Another chick, or perhaps the same one again

Bright flowers

Lithiculture

Amongst the rocks

Magenta

Keywords: high country, grouse, flowers, obstruction point


08/05 - Hurricane Hill Yet Again

We got an early start on our most recent trip up Hurricane Hill, but even then, the trailhead parking lot was full and we got the last available spot at the nearer picnic area. We hadn't been up this way for a while. The season has been moving along. We missed all but a few lupines. The glacier and avalanche lilies are long gone, as were the phlox and larkspur. Instead, there were yarrows, harebells, roses and corn lilies.

It was a brilliant sunny day but cool. The trail was pretty easy going until the big climb just past where the Little River Trail ends. We huffed and puffed and pulled ourself up the mountain, past pine trees and then alpine fields. As usual, we were tricked by Marmot Rock. It really does look like a marmot, but we also so a number of marmots, a buck with velvet antlers and a sky full of ravens.


The Olympic Mountains

A marmot

Another marmot

Yet another marmot, dramatically posed

Ravens

A confused buck

A nearly hidden marmot

Alpine fields

Another view

Starbursts

Harebells

Alpine meadow mix

A rose among others

Corn lilies, also known as false hellebore

Corn lilies in bloom

Pink paintbrush

More harebells

A study in yellow

Mountains

A view to the northwest with a bit of snow left

The sidespur we took

Mountains and flowers

Zoomed in on the Olympic range

Keywords: hurricane hill, marmots, summer

Keywords: hurricane hill, marmots, summer


08/04 - Down by the Dungeness

If you want to get a good look at the Dungeness River, turn left just east of the river and head down Ward Road. There are some lovely parking areas, perfect for picnics or exploring the river banks. You can slosh around a bit if you care to, go fishing in season or do some bird watching. We saw some cedar waxwings flocking in a tree over a river and a small sapsucker on another tree as we headed back to our car. It's a great place to stop for a shady break if you are exploring the area.

The Dungeness River

Gravel banks

A view south

Across the way

More of the river

A cedar waxwing

We caught one of the waxwings landing.

A close up of that sapsucker

That bird was hard to spot.

Keywords: dungeness


08/03 - Elwha to Altair

We hadn't hiked along the Elwha River for a few weeks, so we parked near Madison Falls and made our way up the road, past the mule camp, around behind the old campground via the detour, then along the old road past the ranger station to the Altair Bridge. That was far enough for us.

The scenery was summery. The spring flowers were gone. Now was the time of leafy green trees, berries and drying grasses. The river is still running briskly. We may or may not have seen fish in the water from the bridge, but we definitely had a wonderful view. We tasted a few thimbleberries, checked out the elderberry blossoms and said hello to the mules.


The Elwha River near the old campground

The summer trail

Summer forest

The trail in the summer

Trail through summer foliage

A forest bird

Enhanced and enlarged

That bird again

A better bird image

An elderberry tree

Some elderberry flowers

The blue Elwha

The Elwha downstream from the bridge

Thimbleberry bushes

Thimbleberries

The summer road

Dry grass - The green stuff is horestail.

More summer forest

More summer forest trail

The forest again, and some trees

The Elwha near Madison Falls

Keywords: elwha, summer


08/02 - Obstruction Point Revisited

We made another trip out to Obstruction Point. The season has been progressing. Most of the snow is gone, and more flowers are in bloom. The lakes have melted out from the snow. As usual, the scenery was magnificent. Our bonus sighting this trip was a bear down in one of the lakes.

On top of the world

The trail up there

Mountains and valleys

Another piece of the trail

Phlox - It's a pity we can't take a snapshot of its amazing scent.

More flowers

Plant life

Raven Rock, as we call it

Clouds in the distance

Still some snow in the mountains

Melting snow and a lake below

Growing from the stone

Another view down, melting snow

More clouds and a valley

Another mountain view

The trail again

Harebells

The bear sloshing around in a lake

The bear emerges - The photo is blurry. That bear was quite far away.

More flowers

A stone garden

Flowers and stone

Pink paintbrush

Keywords: flowers, obstruction point

Keywords: flowers, obstruction point


July 2022August 2022 September 2022