Happy Lake Ridge Trail, Olympic Nat’l Park close-in, easy-access, lightly-used, less-dramatic, classic backpacking, loop

appy Lake Ridge Trail is part of a complete loop-route, 17 miles long.  It’s a 3,000′ climb from the , topping out in about 3 miles, and then a subalpine walk along a very broad & mild, semi-open ridge-system; almost rolling plateau-like.  There is standard camping at , which someone once called wet and buggy …

Happy Lake Ridge Trailhead, Olympic Nat’l Park a well-made pullout, hidden in glare of famous neighbor

appy Lake Ridge Trailhead is a roomy pullout along the upper .  It’s a shy mile beyond the lookout, and a couple miles before the end of the road at .  It is at 1,700′, up the northern side of canyon some 650′. Traffic is usually light; the main useage being folks using the trailhead …

Observation Point, Olympic Hotsprings Road, Olympic Nat’l Park old feature of old road - with a new future?

bservation Point is a small developed lookout above the now-drained of reservoir of the , along the on a jutting shoulder of .  The road then turns and heads into the canyon.  In former times, the hillside below the little lookout parking lot was cleared of trees growing up and blocking the view.  But more …

Aurora Ridge Trail, Olympic Nat’l Park near-in backcountry, some safe route-finding, sedate splendor, light usage

urora Ridge Trail runs 16 miles along Aurora Ridge, which borders the south side of Lake Crescent, in the northwest of Olympic National Park.  Its  is on the Sol Duc Hot Springs Road.  The trail climbs the west end of the ridge gradually, eventually gaining 3,000 feet, before ending in the east – still in …

Elwha Basin river crossing alternative stream-crossings are an underrated hazard

lwha Basin river crossing alternative describes a good way to avoid the standard crossing of the , near its headwater, usually as part of using the route between the high-country and the lowlands (and the official trail system).  The Elwha, though small here, is steeper than it looks:  the normal crossing-point is impossible in any …

Elwha Snow Finger, Olympic Nat’l Park

lwha Snow Finger is an important and rather unusual route-feature that greatly facilitates traveling between the core high-country terrain, and the adjoining lowlands (and official trail system).  It is a 2 mile long linear canyon, with a narrow perennial snowfield filling the bottom.  It is very easy to walk on. At the far south end …

Bailey Range Traverse, Olympic Nat’l Park a sensible but significant off-trail adventure in Olympic Park

ailey Range Traverse is an unofficial, informal hiking-route over about 15 miles of the interior, core ridge-massif of the , within the .  Much of it has an easily-followed path, but there are sections that become unclear and uncertain, and thus can be especially memorable.   Perennial – and varying – snow patches, fields and glacier-remnants …