Trip Report
Alpine Scramble - Little River to Hurricane Hill and the Elwha River
A gorgeous and lonesome loop, made especially so by the loss of the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center (and the subsequent closure of the Hurricane Ridge Road). A 10pm ‘late in the day’ closure of the Hood Canal Bridge added a bit of time pressure spice for this 5000’ gain - 17 mile traverse.
Dave Morgan
- Sat, Jun 10, 2023
- Alpine Scramble - Elwha to Hurricane Hill
- Elwha to Hurricane Hill
- Scrambling
- Successful
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- Road suitable for all vehicles
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All the snow is essentially gone, yet the fading traces (in a few spots) of the Little River and Elwha River-Hurricane Hill Trails (not to mention a few easily negotiated stream crossings) added a bit of drama to a perfect weather day. Some light (yet brief) rain in the AM kept things cool for the ascent with clearing skies as we reached Hurricane Ridge.
The day was a bit surreal given the complete absence of the usual crowds near Hurricane Hill. This had quite an impact on the presence of wild life. We saw numerous clusters of deer in the meadows west of Hurricane Hill, with the most prolific being a herd of 14 that were quite comfortable with an extended visit. The flowers are just now ramping up and the views were stunning as usual. A great day with 5.5 hours on the ascent to Hurricane Hill. Our total time was 9.5 hours which included a number of substantial food/view/wildlife breaks. Photos from this and other trips to this venue can be seen here.