For more on the Elwha River and Whiskey Bend Trails, visit our Elwha River website.
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02/10/10 - Hike Out of Whiskey Bend

The road to Whiskey Bend is open, so we had a nice walk above the Elwha River. The weather was mild, but the trail gives a few glimpses of the high mountain peaks. We always try for the overlook on the trail to Lilian Camp, though we don't always make it that far. Still, when we do, it is worth it.

Mountains across the river

Snowy peaks

The classic view

Keywords: elwha

01/03/10 - The Elwha River

We hiked out of Whiskey Bend down to the Elwha River, or rather, to just above the Elwha River, but low enough to get a good view of the flood plain. It was a wonderful green trail, and the Elwha River was wild and full. The winding road to the trailhead does get closed now and then, but it is open for most of the winter, and the Elwha River walks are beautiful this time of year.

On our way down to the river

The river

Our favorite overlook

Click for a bigger version of this panorama
  

Keywords: elwha, winter

11/18/09 - Out Of Whiskey Bend

We had the Whiskey Bend trailhead to ourselves. The road was wet, but otherwise in good shape. As we headed out on the trail, we could see the snow covered mountains across the valley, but the trail itself was below the snow line. So on we tromped, past the little seasonal streams, now burbling briskly and the water running in the drainage channels at the side of the trail.

Most of the decidious trees have lost their leaves, though a few still glowed brightly yellow. We made our way down to the river canyon, but not to the river bottom. This was not the summer Elwha. This was the Elwha in full roar, though not in flood. After a dry summer, the fall rains have come.

Down towards the river

The river bends

Passing the buck

Hume's Ranch

Michael's Cabin, or is it the other way around?

The Elwha from above

An open view

That little creek about a mile from the trailhead.

A touch of snow

Keywords: elwha, autumn

11/04/09 - Snowy Mountains

The Elwha trails out of Whiskey Bend are still wide open, and they offer great views of the snowy mountains across the river. We had to push on to the overlook just for a peek.

Keywords: elwha, winter

04/30/09 - Elwha Update

Spring is coming to the Elwha Trail which starts at Whiskey Bend. There are more people, more triliums and even some other flowers around. The male grouse are lekking, setting up bachelor pads to attract les femmes. Their deep, booming cry, almost a glottal stop, apparently does something for the ladies. There must be a good number of grouse about judging from the sound of things.

An obligatory trilium shot

Looking downstream

A local orchid

Keywords: elwha, flowers, spring, triliums

04/16/09 - The Triliums Are Back

We saw our first triliums of the season along the Elwha Trail. As usual, we spotted one because we had stopped to photograph something else, and once we had spotted one trilium, we began to look for others. Triliums like water, and we had spotted the first one in one of the little canyons with a briskly running stream. We were walking back, sure that there were no more triliums to b seen. After all, we had come this way and seen none. Needless to say, no sooner than we had expressed this, we spotted a trilium, and then another, and then another.

Triliums are like that.

The first trilium we spotted

Another trilium

And another

This may look like rock, but it is an old tree stump, overgrown with moss. Parts of this trail look like something hobbits would live in.

Another evocative trail

Keywords: elwha, triliums, spring

04/06/09 - Snowy Mountains and the Elwha Trail

The Elwha Trail out of Whiskey Bend is clear and dry, and right now it is offering nice views of the snowy peaks towering over the river. The grouse are lekking, and we can hear their deep booming from the trail. It will be a while before the high country opens for hiking, but the middle country is ready now.



Keywords: elwha

03/28/09 - Elwha Update

We drove up the winding road behind the Elwha Ranger Station to Whiskey Bend. The road is in as good shape as ever given that it is a narrow, winding, unpaved road. The first thing we noticed at the trailhead were the new kiosks telling a bit more about the trail. There were also a couple of young deer who had survived the winter and were now stuffing it in. The trail itself was beautiful and seemed to be a bit more open, if only because the deciduous trees were still without leaves. The streams were full of water now that the snow has melted. We didn't get quite as far as we had hoped, so we'll have to come back soon and try again.

We never get tired of this view.

The new kiosks

The trail to summer

Two survivors

A fork in the trail

One of the little streams

Our leaf friends were here

Keywords: elwha

09/25/08 - Faces On The Elwha Trail

We aren't sure of who has been leaving this leaf faces on the trail, but we found a couple more on the Elwha Trail. They are kind of neat, as is the trail itself.


There is still some snow on the mountains across the river.

It's a wonderful trail.

Keywords: elwha, art

06/07/08 - Elwha Update

We were on the Elwha trail the other day and took a couple of pictures. There isn't much to report. There is lots of water in the streams, and there is still snow on the mountains.

UPDATE - 6/15/08 - On the way back from our hike we noticed something unusual: a small patch of rock larkspur growing in a cliff face along the side of the road. Rock larkspur is an alpine plant, and we had never seen it growing so close to sea level. Together with our earlier sighting of glacier lilies on the Whisky Bend Trail, it suggests that this year's prolonged, cool spring may have roused plants that usually lie dormant.


Keywords: elwha

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