Mt Ellinor '05,  Olympic National Park,  June 18, 2005     page 1 / 20

Spring had come and summer was right around the corner. Once again, I was anxious to get out the boots and hit the trail. Below you'll see images of my recent trip up Mt. Ellinor, in the southeastern Olympic mountains.

This trip has become somewhat of an annual ritual for me. I first climbed the peak with my father and brother in July of 1976. Since moving to Washington State I have climbed the peak nearly every year; twelve times since 1992, as it turns out. It's obviously one of my favorites, offering a bit of a workout, and outstanding views into the interior of the park (weather permitting), all packaged in to a simple day hike.

This year I followed several cars up the gravel logging roads which lead to the trailhead. I really wanted to have a little bit of solo time on the trail, so I decided during my drive to stop at the lower trailhead.

The lower section of trail adds roughly 1.5 miles and 600 feet of elevation gain. The trail runs through a peaceful, quiet forest, and is gradual in pitch, allowing one to get the muscles warmed up before rejoining the steeper section to the summit.