Mt. Ellinor

I “climbed” Mt. Ellinor in the Olympic Mountains. It was actually a hike, but the last mile was so steep that it felt like climbing. I didn’t do this to torture myself; I did it for the view. Mt. Ellinor is 5,900 feet above sea level, and on a clear day you can see what seems like forever.

Unfortunately, the clouds started building as we drove to the trailhead, and when we got to the summit, you couldn’t see anything. Fortunately, the clouds parted shortly after we started going back down. Worth it!

Here are some pictures:

Moss

View from the trail. We haven’t gained much altitude at this point.

Walking through the clouds.

Glacier lilies were starting to emerge.

This gives you an idea of how steep the trail is.

The heather is beginning to blossom.

View from the summit

The mountain goats were shy that day.

Looking down a few thousand feet at a lake.

The clouds start to part. You can (barely) see Lake Cushman.

Clearer view of the lake

The Olympics

Now the view is fairly wide open

Looking back at Mt. Ellinor