How to be a tourist in your hometown.
Or... I suppose... in you home state. Mount Ellinor is a bit far from where I am living now but not too far from where I grew up. The mountain is part of the Olympics Range and it is pretty close to the Hood Canal.
A couple of weeks ago I was sitting with my roommate watching some mindless, stupid, television show meant for teens when I got a text from my brother followed immediately by texts from 2 of his friends. "Come hiking with us tomorrow." Followed by the three of them sending me a total of 36 text messages that included no information what-so-ever. I finally put an end to the madness by texting back, "yes, I want to go hiking! Just give me the information." Which is how I ended up at the trailhead to Mount Ellinor on Saturday morning.
I have actually never hiked in the Olympics before. I lived on the Hood Canal from about age 9 to age 16, staring out across the water at the Olympic Peaks. I also love hiking and have gotten to hike in the Andes, the Rockies, the High Sierras, Mount Rainier, Yellow Stone. I have never hiked the Olympics. This was an exciting new experience for me.
Mount Ellinor is one of the smaller peaks in the Olympics. It has 2 trailheads, the upper requires a Northwest Forest Pass to park but the lower trailhead is free to park at. The five bucks for the forest pass is worth it to save you from the extra 3 miles (round trip) to get to the peak because, let me tell you, it is a STRENUOUS hike. Starting at the upper trailhead you gain 2,444 feet of elevation in 1.6 miles. That really just means that it is about a mile and a half straight up! I was exhausted and sweaty by the end and I was very proud of myself. I had conquered it.
Here is the thing about hiking. It is almost always hard AND it is almost always worth it. There is just something about being at the top of a mountain and seeing out across the horizon and the distance that you have crossed that just feels good. It feels right. By nature humans are explorers. We crave things that are new and we also crave challenges. I guess it is just how we were designed.
Mount Ellinor was definitely worth how difficult it was to hike straight up and then straight back down. However, if you want to check it out for yourself you've got a few weekends of summer left. You could check it out, just bring plenty of water.
In Hoodsport, leave Hwy 101 on State Route 119. Follow 119 9.3 miles to its end. Turn right on Forest Road 24 and follow 1.6 miles. Turn left on Forest Road 2419. You’ll reach the lower trailhead in 4.9 miles. Parking here is limited, but usually not crowded. To get to the upper trailhead, go another 1.7 miles and turn left on Forest Road 2419-014. The upper trailhead is at the end of the road. Amenities at the upper trailhead include a vault toilet, picnic table and great views.
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