Mount Jupiter — Saturday, May. 30, 2015

Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal

After my third summer in the Olympics I finally decided to hike the Mount Jupiter trail and couldn't of been happier. One of the lesser known and hiked trails in the area it offers a grand view most of the way as you make your way along the ridge line to the summit. Maybe the round trip distance of 14.4 miles scares most people off but it shouldn't. This can easily be done in a day. I arrived in the parking area (designated by a large 6 spray painted on a stump) at 8 am and had the trail all to myself. The firs and last miles of the hike offer a challenge but the bulk of it is walking the spine of the mountain with relative ease and shade. 2:20 later I had the summit all to myself and enjoyed a great panoramic view of the Puget Sound, The Brothers, Mt Constance, and a distant Mt Rainier. 25 minutes later I started the trip down enjoying the opposing views along the way. I was surprised that on a sunny and seventy degree day I only saw 3 others parties making the trip up. Descent was made in 1:42 making. Total trip made in 4:27. I recommend this hike because it's nice and quiet. It allows one to stretch their legs a bit and reach a summit. With relative easy access to 101 (6 miles in). For the explorer, I'd recommend making your own way down to the Jupiter Lake. The 900 ft scramble would provide more of a challenge than this trail.