Sunrise Ridge delivers the same jaw-slacking views as Hurricane Hill, but without the asphalt and crowds. Chances are also good that on Sunrise Ridge you'll encounter some resident wildlife, especially in the morning. Deer, bear, coyote, and the ubiquitous chipmunk all make themselves at home along this delightful trail. And wildflowers-they grow in profusion, from magenta paintbrush, to spreading phlox, penstemon, lupine, bistort, and larkspur. When your nose isn't glued to the ground admiring a myriad of blossoms, your eyes will be strained from scanning the horizons.

From the parking lot, head north on the Mount Angeles Trail, the first 0.3 mile following the paved High Ridge Nature Trail. Real tread begins after cresting a small knoll. Just beyond, in a small saddle, come to a junction. The trail left leads 0.1 mile to Sunrise Point, a 5500-foot viewpoint on the ridge. It's a nice spot, but it gets better down the trail. Carry on, dropping 250 feet from the saddle, leaving the hubbub of Hurricane Ridge behind.

Undulating between groves of subalpine fir and resplendent alpine meadows, the trail works its way over and around a handful of knolls. Gaze north, out across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to massive Vancouver Island and its scads of mountains. Scan the strait eastward to snowy Mount Baker rising above a myriad of islands and inlets. Turn your attention south to the Olympic interior, to an emerald sea punctuated by craggy summits adorned in ice and snow. Mount Olympus, the centerpiece of this magnificent wilderness setting, dominates the southwestern horizon.

Of course, it's impossible to ignore the imposing peak in front of you-the one growing taller with each step-6454-foot Mount Angeles. At 2.6 miles the trail delivers you right to the base of this locally prominent peak. A climbers path takes off to the left, while the Mount Angeles Trail continues right, skirting the southern slopes of the rocky mountain. Feel free to venture a ways up the steep climbers path through more meadows and subalpine forest. Stop when the trail reaches scree, unless you're trained and prepared to make a class 3 scramble. In any case, the views along Sunrise Ridge are as good as any from Mount Angeles.