A short hike along the Hurricane Ridge Trail in the Olympic Peninsula of Washington, USA

Wednesday Walk - Hurricane Ridge

By tych0_21 | MyMycoBlog | 14 Sep 2022

Happy Wednesday to everybody! Today, I'd like to share a few pictures from a recent vacation I took to the state of Washington, and more specifically, a hike taken on the Hurricane Ridge Trail in the Olympic Peninsula. This short, 2.5 km hike offers stunning, panoramic views of the surrounding mountain range and valleys as well as a view across the border to Vancouver Island in Canada. Because of a few nearby wildfires, the air was filled with a light haze that obscured the view across the Salish Sea into Canada, but there were still plenty of picturesque sights to be seen on the American side of the border.

The trail begins just past a visitors center situated high up on a ridge in the Olympic Mountains and follows the Hurricane Ridgeline as one climbs to peak of Hurricane Hill. To the south, one has a perfect view of the Olympic Mountain range, including the glacier-capped peaks of the range's tallest mountain: Mount Olympus.

After following the ridgeline for about 1.5 km, I made my way to the alpine meadow that covers the southern slope of Hurricane Hill, the summit of this short hike. Here, I took a few minutes to take in the 360 degree views of the surrounding mountains as well as a few change encounters with the local wildlife.

Columbian Black-tailed Deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus):

Sooty Grouse (Dendragapus fuliginosus):

I focused in on the glaciers that persist year-round on the peaks of Mount Olympus...

...and the haze-filled valleys just downslope.

This short but beautiful hike is one that I will not soon forget. The majesty of the Pacific Northwest is on full display here. From the snow-capped peaks, to the densely packed forests, to the wildflower filled alpine meadows, this spot has something for just about any nature lover.

Thank you for walking with me.