Mount Jupiter — Friday, Dec. 12, 1997

Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal

First of all, the forest service says there is a locked gate which adds 2-1/2 miles to the hike, but in reality it's 3-1/2 miles, this according to local signage and to which our feet agreed. Second, USFS warns that the road is rough and in bad shape, but lots of recent logging activity on the ridge has left the road in quite good shape. Too bad the gate is locked. They call it a wildlife gate. If major logging activity didn't disturb the wildlife, I can't see how a few hikers driving through the clearcuts would disturb anything. But there I go again... The Trail is in superb shape. Completely snow free until the last 2 miles or so. I was surprised because I was seeing weather reports of snow levels down to 2000' all the previous week. The switchback sections of trail on the peaks had some packed snow left on them. The North side of the ridge had lots of snow in the last mile to the peak, and that's where we camped, just before the summit. About a foot and a half of old snow, very solid underneath and powdery on top, plus another 3-4"" while we slept. After dinner, we cramponed to the summit on the hard windpack on the south side of the ridge. Very Nice. Enough moonlight through the clouds to see Mt. Anderson and the Brothers quite clearly, as well as all the city lights of Puget Sound, from Olympia to Victoria. Quite pretty. And then the long slogback to the car the next day. It's a long way to carry camp, but better than doing it as a day hike.