|
|
Post by hikerjer on Nov 9, 2022 9:13:59 GMT -8
Thinking about some hiking possibilities for this coming spring (2023) and am considering Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. What is the earliest feasible time to hike in the area? I’m particularly interested in Olympic Nat’l Park. I know elevation is a major factor but I’m just looking for some general guidelines for planning purposes.
Thanks much for your insight.
|
|
|
|
Post by cweston on Nov 9, 2022 9:32:00 GMT -8
I used to have a couple day hikes on the west (rainshadow) side of the Olympics that would sometimes open up in March (or even Feb of some years), but I think there's very little BPing in the Olympics that's going to work in spring, outside of the coastal hikes, or low-elevation river floor hikes like the Hoh.
The best mountain BPing that is most squarely in the rain shadow would probably be the western slopes leading to Marmot Pass, which I think is the Big Quilcene drainage, in the Buckhorn Wilderness. You might seek out specifics of when those trails are usually accessible.
|
|
|
|
Post by hikerjer on Nov 10, 2022 14:05:41 GMT -8
Ah, I suspected as much. Perhaps I'll re-evaluate and look at southern Utah.
Thanks.
|
|
kayman
Trail Wise!
Loving Retired Life
Posts: 200 
|
Post by kayman on Nov 16, 2022 8:12:45 GMT -8
If you’ve never done a backpacking trip on the Olympic Coast it’s quite the experience. The tides, climbing the headlands to get around high tide, the weather, sunsets and the constant sound of the Pacific Ocean. I’ve never done a spring hike there but I’ve done a couple of multi nighters in September. Here’s a link to an old blog post of mine (hopefully) on a trip there in 2016. yahooramblers.blogspot.com/2016/10/olympic-coast-backpacking.html?m=0 |
|
