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10/27/07 - Hurricane Ridge Panoramas

The first time you visited Hurricane Ridge, you probably climbed to Sunrise Point, and you may even have gone some ways on the trail that leads to Klahane Ridge. To be honest, we haven't taken this trail in years. We like to climb the Switchback Trail to Klahane Ridge, and since the Sunrise Point Trail starts right at the lodge, we've been considering it a bit tame.

This week, the high country opened again. The snow had melted from the hills, and the ice had melted from the road. The twisty little road to Hurricane Hill was closed, and Obstruction Point Road was closed for the season, so we decided to climb up to Sunrise Point and then see where the trails took us. The day was spectacular, with the sky blue and the snow on the mountains white. Even a tame trail in the Olympic high country offers a lot of great stuff to look at.

To share the experience, we took a few panorama photos. If you click on the little preview you should get a larger version that you can pan across in your web browser. It isn't the same as the real thing, but it might give you a sense of the view from Hurricane Ridge.

Along the ridge - click on the picture for a bigger version that you can pan horizontally.

A good view of Mount Angeles, and everything else - click on the picture for a bigger version that you can pan horizontally

Keywords: high country, hurricane ridge, klahane ridge, trails, panoramas


10/09/07 - First Signs of WInter, Last Signs of Summer

Hurricane Ridge Road had been closed, and we were sure it had been closed for the season. We were wrong. The road is open, so up we went to Klahane Ridge.

This has been an odd year. We missed the usual late summer drying. By September, most of the alpine flowers are past their bloom and rather sere. This year, the lupines were blossoming into autumn, and the hillsides covered with flowers.

The lupines are gone, but even in October, there are a few blossoms - yarrow, Indian paintbrush, and even a few of those violet harebells. There was a bit of ice on the trail, and some slushy segments. The ice freezes under the soil. When you step on it, the soil compacts and the water flows making the ground slippery. Slime ice, we called it, but it dries out in an hour or two and turns into good old fashioned mud.


The last summer flowers, the first winter snow

First bit of snow on Klahane Ridge

Still a bit of Indian paintbrush
We aren't sure of how much snow has fallen in the high country. Obstruction Point Road is closed, but it is a rather twisty, unsealed road, so there may just be ice in one of the dark patches. According to the web camera at Hurricane Ridge there has been a bit of snow at 5200 feet, but it has all melted. Even at Klahane Ridge, on the north face, perhaps at 6000', there are just patches of snow. Still, looking across at the Blue Glacier and Mount Olympus, over 7000', the mountains are looking whiter.

New snow on the Olympic glaciers

Keywords: autumn, flowers, high country, hurricane ridge, klahane ridge, obstruction point, winter


09/08/07 - Klahane Ridge Revisited - Again

We spend a lot of time on Klahane Ridge, or so it seems. Actually, we would spend more if we could. The flowers are passing, but the vegetation is still lush and the view is, as ever, beautiful.

A view of the mountains

A field of purple harebells - yes, the ground really does slope like that

Late season lupines - sort of an obsession of ours, along with mushrooms

Keywords: flowers, klahane ridge


08/16/07 - Best Late Alpine Flower Season Ever

This has been an unusual summer. Usually the alpine blossoms on Klahane Ridge are getting a bit peaked by now, but this year the blossoming is going strong. These are lupines, seemingly in their prime.

Late lupines on Klahane Ridge

Keywords: klahane ridge, flowers


07/04/07 - Did we mention bog orchids?

Even if you don't climb the Switchback Trail all the way up to Klahane Ridge, check out the little waterfall near the trailhead. If you notice a wonderful sweet smell, it is probably the bog orchids. They are starting to bloom as you can see, and the scent is fantastic.

Keywords: flowers, klahane ridge


07/04/07 - Did we mention Klahane Ridge?

Did we mention Klahane Ridge? The trail is clear to the ridge, and the view is spectacular. The phlox is in bloom, and the alpine gardens are starting to bloom. It's a good, solid 1500' (or so) climb, but the views and scenery are worth it.

There have been reports of an aggressive male mountain goat, and on our latest climb two hikers reported seeing a female mountain goat grazing out in one of the fields, but we didn't get to see her.

Keywords: klahane ridge


11/05/06 - First Snow at Klahane Ridge

We seem to be watching winter come to the high country in slow motion. The rain stopped for a day, and we, and a fair number of other hikers, set out to see how things were doing up on the ridge. Just a few days ago there was frost; today there was snow. There was not a whole lot of snow, or we wouldn't have made it up there, and it had mostly melted save in the highest areas and in places where things lie in shadow. Still, there was snow, and the hanging gardens are now silver and gold as the foliage turns towards winter.

Keywords: high country, winter, klahane ridge


11/01/06 - Klahane Ridge Ground Frost

The high country is wet but open. We managed to crawl up the Switchback Trail to Klahane Ridge. There wasn't any snow, but there was a bit of ground frost and some pretty ice flowers. Winter is icumen in.

Keywords: klahane ridge, winter, flowers, high country


07/09/06 - Mountain Goat Update

There were mountain goats in the news this morning. The local paper, the Peninsula Daily News, had an article about the upcoming aerial goat survey. We Kalebergs decided to check out the situation ourselves, but lacking the requisite light aircraft and helicopters, we took one of our favorite hikes, the Switchback Trail to Klahane Ridge. We had spotted one fine specimen back in June, so we had our hopes for this fact finding expedition.

We started the arduous ascent from the parking lot. The bog orchids were in bloom, and their rich scent permeated the waterfall climb near the start of the trail. Hikers descending reported goats on the trail, raising our hopes. Indeed, as we neared the 1000' apl (above parking lot) mark on our altimeter, there they were, two goats, a nanny and a kid, skulking in one of the shady corners of a switchback.

Mountain Kid
An Olympic mountain goat exploring the crags above us

After a suitable pause to take some pictures and share in the mother-child intimacy, we resumed our ascent. Two goats! We had already broken our old record of one mountain goat sighted. The day was auspicious, and our hopes were high.

We did not hope in vain. As we neared the rocky outcrops near the ridge itself, there we saw him, well above us on the bare rock cliffs, the billy goat. Well, that made our day. Three goats! This was quite a successful survey, and we had more to climb and explore.

We pressed onward to the ridge and looked north, at the great fields of rock and snow, now covered with fog and rising cloud, in contrast to the sun and calm to the south through which we had ascended. The snow had been melting rapidly, so we tried for the high alpine gardens, but in this we failed. We were too tired to deal with the big patch of snow at 1600' apl (above parking lot).

As we returned to the trail junction at the ridge, we reaped a new reward for our muscle cracking efforts. (Our muscles crack more easily than most). There they were, an entire nuclear goat family, billy, nanny and kid, taking it easy and enjoying a snack on one of the rocky outcrops. We had to smile.

We must report that the alpine flowers were spectacular, and judging from our goat friends, quite delicious. The avalanche lilies have passed, but the lupines are just coming in, as are the turk's cap lilies and the pink paintbrush. Whether you go for the goat spotting, or just for the alpine flowers or the spectacular scenery, this is a great time for a survey of Klahane Ridge.

Mountain Goat
Mountain Goat Grazing
Mountain Goat

Keywords: animals, high country, klahane ridge, flowers


06/24/06 - Mountain Sheep on Klahane Ridge

Yes, they are actually goats, but they're back, and they're traipsing, or is it capering, around the Klahane Ridge Trail. We saw this fellow on the Switchback Trail just a bit below the junction with the Klahane Ridge Trail. We were perhaps six feet await from this guy, but he seemed a lot more interested in his meal than in us.

Keywords: animals, klahane ridge


Klahane Ridge in Bloom

06/20/06 - Clear Trails, Almost, To Klahane Ridge

The Klahane Ridge Trail, via the Switchback, is more or less clear of snow. There are a few patches left, but nothing serious. We qualified this using the Kaleberg scale as a milli-adventure.

The hanging gardens are getting green, but most of the blooms are avalanche lilies, until the ridge proper. There, the phlox is coming out, and a fair bit of it.

(Click some of the pictures for closeups)

Snow on the Klahane Ridge Trail
Phlox at Klahane Ridge

Keywords: klahane ridge, high country, flowers


Klahane Ridge in the clouds

10/01/05 - Early Autumn on the Switchback Trail

We were up at Klahane Ridge the other day and the scenery wa spectacular, both on the climb up the Switchback Trail, and at Hurricane Ridge as well. There was no great panorama, but more of a dance of the seven veils, with the clouds revealing and concealing. It was tricky weather for a photographer with great shots appearing and disappearing as we climbed.

It is tempting to avoid Hurricane Ridge on cloudy days, but the clouds and fog offer a special kind of beauty. The mists accent the mountains and make everything more real and less abstract. The recent rain made for better hiking too. The trail is made of dirt again, rather than dust.

View from Hurricane Ridge, with clouds - The Blue Glacier on a cloudy day
Not quite a panorama from Hurricane Ridge

Keywords: high country, klahane ridge, hurricane ridge


Mountain Goat Grazing At Klahane Ridge

07/02/05 - Mountain Goat at Klahane Ridge

The Switchback Trail to Klahane Ridge is one of our favorite high country hikes. If nothing else, the trailhead is right off Hurricane Ridge Road a bit shy of the ranger station on Hurricane Ridge, so it is an easy drive. We got an early start today to avoid the Fourth of July crowds, and we fairly tore up the 1450' from the Switchback Trail trailhead to the ridge, but just as we got to the overlook, where one can see Port Angeles, Sequim, Dungeness, the San Juan Islands and Vancouver Island spread out below, we stopped short. There, by the sign post, was a mountain goat, chowing down on the foliage.

There are mountain goats, actually a type of sheep, in Olympic National Park, but they are rarely seen in this part of the park. This one was shaggy, still shedding its winter coat, but more than willing to cooperate with a photographer.
Mountain Goat ClimbingMountain Goat Ambling

Keywords: klahane ridge, animals, high country, dungeness, hurricane ridge, port angeles, winter


No Snow on Hurricane HillNo Snow on the Switchback Trail

02/15/05 - Snowshoe Report From Hurricane Ridge, snowshoeing

We went snowshoeing on Hurricane Ridge a few days back, and we were rather amazed at the lack of snow. There was snow, but not all that much as you can see in these two photos. Just as a reminder, these were taken in February, not June.

The road to the Hurricane Hill trailhead did have snow, but the thick section near the start was deceptive. There were portions of the trail where it was easy to bottom out and poke at the asphalt of the road with our sticks. Still, the snow was white, and the scenery spectacular. If you don't have snowshoes or cross country skis, you can just hike if you have a good pair of shoes.

The picture on the right is of Hurricane Hill. Most of the snow seems to have melted! There are usually bits of snow hanging around until August. Unless the heavens open up, it looks like it will all be gone by May.

The picture on the left is of the Switchback Trail to Klahane Ridge as seen from the road to Hurricane Ridge. It looks like most o fhte snow has melted, but you can see the snow on the trail as the criss cross of white lines just above the center of the picture. Judging from the trailhead, it looks like you can just walk up to the ridge if you don't mind the occasional snow drift.

Keywords: winter, high country, hurricane hill, hurricane ridge, klahane ridge, snowshoeing


11/15/04 - Klahane Ridge

The weather has been rainy and blustery and the snow line has been creeping down. We were up at Klahane Ridge the other day and the path was easy going, but there was already a bit of snow on the ground here and there. As you can see in the picture to the right, there was perhaps an inch or so of snow total, and most of it has melted. Since yesterday's wind and rain this whole area is probably under several inches of snow, and it is not likely to melt until spring. One must take the high country when one can get it.
First Snow On Klahane Ridge

Keywords: high country, trails, klahane ridge, spring


06/27/04 - The Hamper

We always liked those old fashioned nature documentaries with their portentious announcers. We were up at Hurricane Hill today, and the dirty sock plant (Polygonum bistortoides) is in bloom. This plant is noted for its hearty aroma. The scent hasn't really ramped up yet, but as we passed this field (shown at the right), we could almost hear the ominous bass voice, "... a field so full of dirty sock plant, it is known as 'the hamper'".

On a more pleasant olfactory note, the bog orchid (Platanthera leucostachys) is also in bloom near the start of the Switchback Trail to Klahane Ridge. This plant has a sweet, almost honeyish smell. We had noticed this scent on our last hike up the Switchback Trail, but had been unable to find its source. This time our search bore fruit, and good smelling fruit at that.

In any event, we should point out that the alpine wild flower season is nearing its peak of diversity. The yarrow is ready to open, the phlox and glacier lilies are passing. The season started early this year, and the true floral glory of the high meadows is upon us.

We will provide appropriate aromatic HTML as soon as a few more browsers start supporting SE-CSS (scent enabled CSS). We apologize for the inconvenience, or maybe not.

The Hamper

Bog Orchids

Keywords: flowers, high country, hurricane hill, klahane ridge


06/04/04 - Klahane Ridge Opening

Klahane Ridge Golden MarmotThe Switchback Trail to Klahane Ridge is open. We were up there earlier today and are pleased to report that it looks like a really good wildflower season. Already, there are avalanche lilies, violets, some yarrow and lots of greenery just waiting to blossom. We even saw the local marmot at the top of the ridge. This is a clearly auspicious sign. Those of us in on the secret know that sighting a marmot at Klahane Ridge at the start of the season means that we will have a sunny summer in the high country of Olympic National Park.

Keywords: klahane ridge, flowers, spring, high country


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