From the Mountains to the Sea

Olympic National Park is a large park, and it takes a bit of time to explore its three “faces” since the distances between them are fairly large.  We had already covered the coast and the forests, so today we headed for the mountains.  The road to Hurricane Ridge is open almost every day of the year and leads to the top of the Olympic Mountains.  The expansive view down toward the Strait of Juan de Fuca was a bit hazy today, but the glacier-covered peaks were beautiful.  

Glacier-Covered Olympic Mountains

As we climbed higher, we passed through sub-alpine tundra on our way to Hurricane Ridge at 5,242 feet in elevation.  Deep snowbanks on the side of the road greeted us one more time.  The mountains here and in the Cascade Range are still buried in the white stuff, and people were still exploring the area in snowshoes.  All I cared about was admiring the views of the adjacent peaks, however.

Snow Still Covers Hurricane Ridge

The View from Hurricne Ridge

Before we left Olympic National Park, we met a former colleague who worked with Tim at Rocky Mountain National Park.  Rainey and her husband had just moved to Olympic National Park, and we were anxious to hear about her new job.  By chance, we had seen her name last week on a television news ticker.  Rainey is now the Public Information Officer for Olympic National Park and had been quoted about the status of a hiker who had been lost for several days, but ultimately found.  It was so nice to see how well she’s doing in this beautiful place.

We left the park behind and drove to Port Townsend, a quaint town that has done a wonderful job of preserving its heritage.  Port Townsend is one of the finest examples of a Victorian seaport in the country.  The downtown is lively, although its sidewalks are under construction, and interesting shops and restaurants are located here.  We’ll explore the town in the morning.

Downtown Port Townsend

Downtown Port Townsend

We’re checked into an RV park that is adjacent to the local marina and is operated by the Port of Port Townsend.  We are within walking distance of downtown, but best of all, we have an unobstructed view of Admiralty Inlet.  Waterfront sites just can’t be beat!  I think we’re getting spoiled.

We Just Loved Our View!

Kitty Liked It Too!