Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park

As I mentioned before, Olympic NP is one of the most diverse parks in the US. It protects a rain forest, beautiful coast and beaches, several lakes, and a mountain range called Hurricane Ridge. On our last day in Olympic we planned to explore the latter part of the park by hiking to Klahane Ridge. Our plans failed dramatically as the road leading to the trailhead was closed due to a recent snowfall.

We were not too sorry about it, as already at the Hurricane Ridge’s Visitor Center we understood where the mountains get their name from. It was so windy and cold there that even in thermal underwear, a fleece, and a windstopper, I was still shaking from the cold. As quickly as I could, I snapped a few pictures (published below) and jumped back into the warm car. Soon afterward, without any regrets, we started driving in the direction of Seattle.


Hurricane Ridge:

A close deer encounter: