Day 35 - We finally see Mt. Olympus

Despite the continued smoke, we decided to head up to Hurricane Ridge Visitors Center. When we were there some five years ago we dressed warmly because there were high winds and snow at the top. This time it was sunny and in the mid 70’s which gave us the opportunity to take some hikes.

The ride up was very pleasant even though there weren’t long-distance views. It reminded us of a misty morning. After three tunnels, we reached the top at 5,200 ft., we both agreed that it reminded us of Switzerland. Of course, the mountains aren’t as high but the extensive flowered meadows and the layer up layer of mountain ridges gave it this flavor. Despite the smoke you could see across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. On a clear day you can see Vancouver Island.

We then checked out the Visitors Center and then headed out for a few short hikes. Mt. Olympus is just about in the center of the park. Unlike other parks where the highest peak can be seen from just about everywhere, Mt. Olympus, even at 7,890 ft. remains hidden only to be seen from other high spots in the park. Hurricane Ridge is one of them. However, you can only see the peak of Mt. Olympus because it is blocked by other high mountains and softened by clouds and haze even on a clear day.

We noticed a sign at the beginning of our hike to be alert for aggressive mountain goats. They call them “habituated.” Apparently, they are following and harassing hikers. When we got back we saw an article in the New York Times about this problem. And it is a problem. Back in 2010 a goat attacked and killed a 63 year old man here in this park. They are putting together a plan to both relocate and kill problematic goats. Good thing we didn’t know this before we hiked. Fortunately, we didn’t see any goats!

We descended the ridge and went to Port Angeles Visitors Center. Here we viewed a 25 minute movie about the park. Maybe we were just tired but it was a poorly made snoozer.

From there we headed to Port Angeles to get gas and pick up a few things from a supermarket. What a sad area. Looked like a struggling town. Lots of homeless which is a serious problem not only there but in this state. Seattle has tent cities that handle this. Washington is 4th in the nation for homelessness and a growing problem.

Back to our camp to relax and plan for tomorrow, our last day here.