WOW!!! After what seemed weeks of rainy and overcast weekends, this Saturday was stupendous!!! The road to Hurricane Ridge opened by 9. We met friends at the WIC at 9:30 and got up to the Lodge by just after 10. The road was well-plowed and basically clear - our Prius made it no worries, but plan extra time as many drivers were being 12 mph (literally) cautious. We signed in at the lodge like good little hikers and headed up the road - 1.5 mi. past the snow-buried restroom and picnic area to the Hurricane Hill trailhead. It was a very busy day with skiiers and snowshoers alike out in force. This did not detract from the stunning vistas, blue skies, and this strange, blinding light hanging in space (what IS it???).

The hike was well-marked by prior people and the traffic really lightened after about 1/2 mile on the trail, though we definitely had company within sound if not sight the whole way. Many snowshoe groups did not seem to understand one side was for skiiers despite the signs. We made it to the top just in time for our noon lunch to be accompanied by sweeping views down to Port Angeles and across the Strait to Canada, Mt. Baker out in glory, Mt. Angeles covered with snow, and the Olympics to south and west. The clouds started rolling in around 1 as we were headed down. By the time we returned to the parking lot around 2:30, it was enveloped in a cloud and there were no views to be had, but still plenty of folks out enjoying the day.

The hike is 6 miles RT, about 800' gain plus ups and downs. The road down closes by 4:30, so plan accordingly! This is a fantastic hike for any level of snowshoe fan with huge payoff for relatively little work. On an incredible day like this one, you couldn't ask for more! Lots of photos at http://www.flickr.com/[…]/

Trying to take advantage of the mostly sunny skies, I loaded up my snowshoes and headed for Hurricane Ridge. I was torn between heading out the Obstruction Point Road towards Eagle Point and heading up Hurricane Hill. Due to the need to resolve a "camera battery crisis" I ended up spending some unplanned time in Sequim, and thus arrived at teh Hurricane Ridge Visitor's Center later than I had planned. The later arrival more-or-less forced a decision to go with the more-reward-in-a-shorter-distance hike. So, to Hurricane Hill I went.

I struck out from the Visitor's Center around noon, enjoying the partial sunshine. The snow along the Hurricane Hill Road was pretty solid, and snowshoes really weren't required. I thought about switching to my Yak Trax, but decided that since I came here to snowshoe, then, by golly, I was going to wear my snowshoes!

Along the road to the Hurricane Hill Picnic Area, there are several nice viewpoints that revealed gorgeous views towards Mt. Angeles, Klahane and Sunrise Ridges, Port Angeles, the Straits of Juan de Fuca, Vancouver Island and more on one side. On the other side, the Elwha River valley, the Bailey Range, Mt. Olympus, and countless peaks and valleys presented themselves.

I made the picnic area in record time, and set out toward Hurricane Hill proper. There are two little knolls on the way to Hurricane Hill that you can either traverse around or just go over the top. The traverse is steep, exposed, avalanche prone, and not recommended if it is icy. So, I just went up and over the top. I did do the traverse around one of the knolls on the way back, and probably wouldn't choose to do it again.

Beyond the picnic area, the snow was still pretty compact, so from a flotation perspective, the snowshoes still weren't required. But I sure was glad to have their big bear claws grasping ontp the snow as I ascended the steep slope.

The views open up in a big way beyond the picnic area. The Hurricane Ridge area is outstandingly beautiful. To one side is a snow, rock and ice, with towering peaks and quiet fog-filled valleys. To the other side, you look down to civilisation bustling below whilst a steady stream of ocean-going ships ply their nautical trade routes.

As I got closer to Hurricane Hill, the wind picked up and the clouds to the west began to look more ominous. A system was predicted to move in that evening, and ahead of me was the evidence that is was coming.

The day grew progressively grayer as I continued. From the the summit of Hurricane, I could see that the rain had started to fall in the general direction of Mt. Appleton and the Sol Duc and that it was moving my direction. I decided not to linger, since I wanted to get back to the car without getting rained on too much. As I descended, I could see the rain getting closer, as clouds spilled over ridge and range. Soon, Mt. Olympus was shrouded in rain, and shortly thereafter disappeared completely. I passed the picnic area as rain began falling in the Elwha valley behind me. Looking back, I could see Hurricane Hill, where I had just been, was now getting showered on. Ahead, Mt. Angeles was beginning to disappear from view. I could feel a little bit of mist on my cheeks.

On the way back, I encountered something that I haven't encountered before in my time hiking...a film crew. They were out "getting some footage" as the ranger who was with them explained to me. I can imagine how cool some time-lapse video of a weather system moving in from that vantage point might look in an NPS interpretive film.

I made it back to the car just as it began sprinkling in earnest. It was quite a day; great views and mostly sunny skies on the way out, and watching (and racing against) the beauty of a weather system rolling in on the way back.

Got up early, made the long drive from south-end. Weather turned out to be fantastic! Road up to Hurricane Ridge was free and clear of snow, all the equipment is chained and ready to go for the next storm. We got to the parking lot around 9, it was not crowded at all. The Ski hill is open, lots of kids sledding, skiing, boarding, and snowshoeing. Met some friends at the lodge around 10 and set out for Hurricane Hill. We had to move over at one point so the Cat could groom the trail. Snow is old and crunchy but not bad. Trees aren't covered with rim ice at the moment, lots of bare dirt spots on the hill today. Beautiful views in every direction. Great time was had by all. I even broke in my husband, he got his first blister from hiking today, and I can bet it won't be his last! I promised him a burger from Fat Smitty's and they were closed at 4:30, bummer maybe next time.

The Hurricane Ridge Road has been closed indefinitely by a landslide. This hike is not accessible at this time and will likely be closed for 4-6 weeks. Check with Olympic National Park for details: http://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/current-closures.htm or call 360-565-3131 for up to date road and facility information.

The road up to the Hurricane Ridge visitor center appears to be clear of snow and ice, but now there is a lot of gravel on the road. The trail between the visitor center and the Hurricane Hill summer parking lot on the other hand was still under a thick layer of (well-groomed) snow. Further up the snow cover was getting patchy, and sometimes the trail was just a thin strip of snow. A ranger had warned us about icy conditions, but by the time we got started (10 AM, thin clouds) the snow was getting a bit soft and provided good traction for snowshoeing. XC skiers we encountered however looked less happy. The avalanche danger was rated low, but stay clear of the lee-ward edge when walking along the ridge! Had some cold wind blowing near the summit, but can't say we didn't expect that...