Today we originally planned to hike Mailbox peak but after seeing the 30+mph winds we opted for the Olympic Peninsula and enjoyed a calm morning in the mountains! After catching the 7:55am Edmonds - Kingston ferry we drove to the Mount Storm King ranger station TH and arrived at 10:30am. The road from Kingston to the TH is snow free as of today. The parking lot has compact snow and ice but we saw every kind of vehicle parked there today. We followed the trail under the tunnel and through the old growth forest where we promptly put on our microspikes. We made a short side trip to frozen Marymore Falls (I highly recommend it as a warm up!) and then started up the short and steep trail to Mount Storm King. The first mile up has patches of snow and ice. It was easy to follow. The last mile of the gained more elevation and more snow accumulated as we ascended. As of today, the two rope sections are in good condition and the trail is clear to follow. We were grateful to have microspikes AND poles as we crossed the narrow ridge line with a good amount of exposure. There was no wind at the top! We put on a couple more layers and enjoyed hot tea before carefully heading back down. This was an excellent trail today! Trail conditions will most likely change as another weather system comes in tomorrow. Happy hiking!
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