Information about this hike provided in partnership with
Mountaineers Books.
Copyright © Craig Romano/The Mountaineers Books Mount Ellinor
Featured In:
Day Hiking: Olympic Peninsula,
by Craig Romano.
A portion of all book sales from the links above benefits WTA and helps protect and maintain our trails. Yes, there is an upper trailhead that shortens this hike by 3 miles and knocks 900 feet of elevation off. But why start there? The whole idea is to go hiking, not get to the mountain the shortest way possible. By beginning on the lower trailhead you get a chance to warm up for a very steep ascent, and you get to enjoy one of the finest old-growth groves this side of Copper Creek. Plus you get 1.5 miles of quiet hiking, avoiding the crowds flocking to the upper trailhead. Begin by immediately entering a cool forest of old-growth hemlock and Douglas-fir. As the trail skirts the edges of old clear-cuts, teaser views promise what lies ahead. In about 0.5 mile the trail from Big Creek comes in from the left (the long, long way up Ellinor). Ascending steadily, the trail winds 1 mile up a heavily forested ridge to meet the upper trail at 3900 feet. The trail right descends 400 feet to meet the upper trailhead in 0.3 mile. Now, hopefully warmed up and limber, prepare for some serious work. The incline gets steeper while the terrain gets rougher. At 2.5 miles (4600 feet) trees yield to meadows and views begin. But to quote the late not-so-great 1970s rock band, BTO, "B-b-baby, you ain't seen nothing yet!" The winter climbing route veers right. Continue left, ascending open meadows and rocky gardens. Years ago, going beyond this point was a tricky scramble. But thanks to the hard work of the Mount Rose Volunteer Trail Crew a trail was carved into the steep mountain face, making the ascent much safer and more manageable. Continue huffing and puffing, traversing a very steep slope. Now just a short distance from your objective, clamber north up a rocky ridge until finally, at 3.1 miles from and nearly two-thirds of a mile above the lower trailhead, reach Ellinor's magnificent summit. Wipe your brow, gulp some water, and prepare to be wowed. One mile directly below is Lake Cushman, rippling waters shining right back at you. Lots of saltwater twinkles below too, with Puget Sound and Hood Canal clearly visible. The Cascades fill the eastern horizon, with Rainier dominating the show. Percolating St. Helens is visible to the south. Turn your attention north and westward to a diorama of jagged Olympic peaks. Washington, Pershing, and Stone, like a lineup of generals, flank Ellinor to the north. Lincoln, Cruiser, Gladys, and Copper guard her to the west. Gaze down into the vertigo-inducing Jefferson Creek valley and spot an inviting but isolated pond. You can sit on this summit for hours learning much about western Washington's geography.
Driving Directions:
From Shelton travel north on US 101 for 15 miles to Hoodsport. Turn left (west) onto State Route 119 and proceed 9.3 miles to a T intersection with Forest Road 24. Turn right onto graveled FR 24, proceed 1.6 miles, and turn left onto FR 2419. After 4.8 miles come to the lower trailhead. The upper trailhead can be reached by continuing on FR 2419 for 1.6 miles to a junction. Turn left on FR 2419-014 and follow it 1 mile to the upper trailhead. Recent Trip Reports
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Day hike
Issues:
Snow on trail
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Started the hike just about 3/4 of a mile from lower trail head at anout 10 am. There was a...
Started the hike just about 3/4 of a mile from lower trail head at anout 10 am. There was a heavy amount of ice on road so we opted to walk. There was a few inches of packed snow on the trail. Snow shoes were not needed until hitting the junction for the winter route. Unfortunately we left our snowshoes in the car, because once on the winter route the snow was waist deep and untouched. My Dad and I had to break trail through the snow until we found our way to the foot of the avalanche chute. We climbed our way up the chute around 1140 am. It was tough climbing because of the deep snow and the constant post-holing. We were about half way up the chute around 1230. It took quite awhile to make it up because we were the first group to climb the chute, and there was a lot of deep snow to deal with. The final pitch to the top of the chute was the steepest. We made it to the summit bowl around 2 pm. We were pressed for time and couldnt make the true summit before running out of daylight on the traverse back. It was much easier an faster on the way down. The glissade chute was not yet developed so we decided to down climb. We were back at the care by 5 pm.
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You don't get many clear weather weekend's this time of year so we made a last minute decision to hike...
You don't get many clear weather weekend's this time of year so we made a last minute decision to hike (or should I say climb!) Mt Elinor. We started out at the lower trail head hiking through beautiful forests which is a great way to warm up before you really start to climb. Soon the trail starts a much steeper grade after you pass the upper trail head junction, 1.2 miles from the lower. This is a strenuous hike with an exceptional reward when you get to the top of Mt Elinor, a fantastic view to the interior of the Olympics highlighted by Mt Olympus (see pano below). I would suggest getting a very early start, it's a popular hike and it gets crowded at the top after 12:00. We were the third group to arrive in the morning about 11:00. Leap being the first (see Leap's trail report, he got there at sunrise for some beautiful pictures!), a group of three where at the top when we got there. Around 11:30 hikers started to arrive so we started down passing a steady stream on hikers headed for the summit. It must have been pretty congested at the top. If you haven't done this hike, DO IT!
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Arrived at the upper trail parking lot around 6:30am and heading up the trail in the dark. The moon...
Arrived at the upper trail parking lot around 6:30am and heading up the trail in the dark. The moon was out but needed headlamps in order to see where I was going. The trail was in great shape and I didn't have any problems on the way up. Managed to get a little over halfway to the top by the time the sun started to come up. Stopped and watched while the sun rose in the sky. A beautiful morning, a clear sky with clouds in the valley. I could see Rainier and St Helens. Ditched the headlamps and continued up to the peak. A couple of small patches of snow along the way and some icy spots on a few of the rocks but no other issues other than its a pretty steep hike. Trekking poles were usefull particlularly on the way down. Made it to the peak around 8am and enjoyed the view for a while before heading down. I didn't see any mountain goats going up or back down but did see a large off-white owl fly out from behind a tree. Crossed paths with 4 or 5 different groups comimg up the trail and most of us ranked this hike as a favorite. I would do the early morning trip again, the sunrise was amazing - (good lighting a must).
Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Issues:
Snow on trail | Bugs
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I had other plans for this day, but awoke too lake to make them work, so instead I opted to...
I had other plans for this day, but awoke too lake to make them work, so instead I opted to drive over to the peninsula and climb up this mountain that I have heard so much about.
All the notes about the trail itself are true. This was IMMACULATE. Many Thanks to the crew who maintains this trail!! I started from the lower trailhead for the full effect of this outing. The weather was typical glorious late-summer in NW Washington. It took just under three hours to make the summit. I encountered many other hikers who had started from the upper trailhead once I broke out of the forest, but it was nowhere near so crowded as to make it unpleasant. Upon reaching the summit I was greeted by three VERY VERY Aggressive chipmunks. They were all over me and my pack for the thirty-or-so minutes I spent up there. The descent took just over an hour, I was moving as fast as I could (and I paid for that speed descent over the next couple of days). I recommend this hike most highly. It is steep to be sure, but well worth it. The views of Cushman and the Sound are amazing. I intend to use this as training for higher altitude climbs next season. Do be careful navigating the road to/from the trail heads. While the potholes were not too prevalent, they are bad when you do come across them. Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Issues:
Snow on trail | Bugs
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My recommendation is to start at the lower trail-head. Starting from the upper trail-head makes for a shorter hike than...
My recommendation is to start at the lower trail-head. Starting from the upper trail-head makes for a shorter hike than may be desired, which amounts to an extended step-aerobics class... non-relenting stair climbing with a short scramble at the top. If you like strenuous hikes, this is the one for you. Very little exposure at the top, for those with that concern. Trekking poles are helpful on the way down, as well as on the snow field. A quick glissade makes for a quick return to the bottom, but beware of rocks on and around the glissade path (no need for an ice axe or crampons). Overall, a great workout, but be prepared to work hard. At the top, the view is definitely worth the effort and, hopefully, you'll see the Mtn Goats. Lastly, the fire burning in The Brothers Wilderness is producing quite a haze-- Hood Canal & the Puget Sound were barely visible. The Cascades were not visible at all. More fire info: http://www.inciweb.org/incident/2599
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Hood Canal and Rainier. Courtesy of Christopher Cote.
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