Feb 6 ONP Hurricane Hill slog via the Elwha
2/15/10
WA Olympics
1865
4
Over 5000 feet of elevation is a fair amount of work for a few turns but I wanted to see my old stomping grounds and see if it would be worth it for a day. I got a pretty good start, began hiking at daybreak and made it to the summit a little after noon. The snow level is quite high on the west flank of the ridge and skinable at about 4500 ft. The southwest facing meadow is almost totally melted out below 4500 with fresh sign of marmots burrowing mounds close to the surface!
Snow varied from windblown crust, corn, and powder on the northeast bowls. Seeing a pair of golden eagles riding the thermals on my return made the trip!
Snow varied from windblown crust, corn, and powder on the northeast bowls. Seeing a pair of golden eagles riding the thermals on my return made the trip!
didn't realize we had golden eagles on the west side.
Hey Doug,
Did you go up the Elwha trial or Wolf Creek? Did you go to the summit of Hurricane Hill? Which aspects did you ski?
Good to see the report,
Gary
Did you go up the Elwha trial or Wolf Creek? Did you go to the summit of Hurricane Hill? Which aspects did you ski?
Good to see the report,
Gary
Quite the slog up there from the Whiskey Bend lot! Must be a little surreal being on the HH road with nobody around...normally packed with snowshoers. Thanks for the report!
Gary/Chmnyboy:
I took the Hurricane Hill trail rather than the Wolf Creek Trail. It is 2 miles shorter to the summit. The trail is probably not the best approach once you hit snow. I think that one could access the summit easier if you traversed the snow across the western shoulder above Hurricane Creek to a low saddle and then north to the hill. I have skied that runout but never got a good look at it from the west, (see cell pic.)
As you probably know those steep runs on north bowls of the Hill can really hold the powder but they are prone to slide. I was solo so I played it safe and stayed high.
http://picasaweb.google.com/bobsneeb/DropBox?authkey=Gv1sRgCK2Rp6PO0NziXw#
I took the Hurricane Hill trail rather than the Wolf Creek Trail. It is 2 miles shorter to the summit. The trail is probably not the best approach once you hit snow. I think that one could access the summit easier if you traversed the snow across the western shoulder above Hurricane Creek to a low saddle and then north to the hill. I have skied that runout but never got a good look at it from the west, (see cell pic.)
As you probably know those steep runs on north bowls of the Hill can really hold the powder but they are prone to slide. I was solo so I played it safe and stayed high.
http://picasaweb.google.com/bobsneeb/DropBox?authkey=Gv1sRgCK2Rp6PO0NziXw#
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