One of my favorite go-to hikes is a roughly 5 mile jaunt round trip up a small mountain on the Olympic Peninsula. It’s a moderately challenging climb, rising 2000 feet in just two miles. On top there are two vistas with very different views: the north side gives a nice view up into the East Olympic Mountains and the south side shows off the Hood Canal and Mt Rainier in the distance. The nice thing about this hike is that it is not too far away, sports an amazing forest to start the hike, and can be accomplished late into the fall and early into the spring given that the peak is under 3000 feet of elevation.
Guess what! It’s mid fall, a beautiful day, and I am antsy to get out. So off I went this morning to the Olympic National Forest just south of the little town of Quilcene. One other car was in the parking lot, and I felt like I had the entire forest to myself.
The first part of the hike is just a beautiful walk in the woods. The trail quickly begins to gain elevation. The trick to preparation for a fall hike is layers. The temperature was about 35 degrees to start! I had my wool beanie, gloves, and a nice fleece on to stay warm. I wear a light raincoat over the top to start my hike as this holds the heat in and the wet out. I quickly packed it away in my bag at about halfway up as I warmed up.
Remember that hiking is not just a walk in the park, but serious exercise. By the 1/2 mile mark, this hike should have you breathing hard, sweating, and you may wonder why you are doing this! If so, just stop and look around: the trees are amazing! There’s a mix of fir, hemlock and cedar. The sun beams through the branches and is warming things up. You are doing it: hiking in the amazing Pacific Northwest. Don’t be scared of switchbacks or a little snow. In no time you reach the top!
Here is a little video that shows the approach to the top. What appears is the north summit and the view sweeps from the east and then across the north.
This is a good spot to make sure you are hydrated. I would suggest that by now, you’ve had at least a 500 mL intake of water. If not, drink up.
As well, have a snack. Today I brought a Cliff Bar which is a pretty good option for fuel.
I still have the mountain to myself…
The views are amazing: there’s the east peaks of the Olympics, from Mount Constance on the left over to Mount Townsend on the right. Look farther to the right and Mount Baker may be in the distance, with the valley below covered in trees. Keep your eyes open for hawks and bald eagles, my favorite bird to sight.
Then you can hike across the top of Mount Walker to the south side where the vista is totally different…
I love this side as it shows off some unique features of this area: the Cascades in the distance, prominently featuring Mount Rainier, and the Hood Canal, a beautiful waterway that was carved long ago by glaciers moving from the north.
If you look carefully, you can see the waters of Puget Sound in the distance and the skyscrapers of Seattle on the left. Being on top of a mountain puts things in perspective.
After my snack and hydrating, it’s time to head back down the mountain. I always find going down harder than going up due to the strain it places on the knees. For the last ten years, I have been so very grateful for my hiking poles! They help off load some of that pressure on the knees and certainly assist with balance as well. I always notice that the perspective going down is different than going up, so think of it as a whole new hike!
I started at roughly 9:00 in the morning and finished back at the car at 11:30. With up and down, plus some wondering around on top, I logged 5.4 miles and 2,150 feet of elevation. This was a great hike with beautiful views and significant exercise accomplished!
This is a great example of a once in a while excursion to break up The Daily Grind and keep yourself on track. Now you can look forward to your next little adventure, and be ready for it.
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