Adrienne and I had a long list of things to do this weekend around the house, but we scuttled it to take advantage of some rare blue November skies. It has been cold cold cold lately--all the plants in our garden finally died--which means it has also been crystal clear. So we headed to the Olympic Peninsula for a hike where we could take in the views.
Our friend Chris picked us up in the darkness at 6:30am to catch an early ferry across Puget Sound. The sunrise on the boat was stunning and we knew we were in for a good day. We chose to do the Mt. Townsend hike on the northeast end of the peninsula, a steep trail that climbs out of the forested valleys up to a windswept peak in the Olympic Mountains. The views start to open up quickly, but the real treat is the view from up top--you can see north to Victoria, the Straits of Juan de Fuca, Vancouver Island, and the San Juans; the entire Cascade Range from Canada to Oregon; all the major peaks, including Mt Baker, Rainier, Adams, and St. Helens; and the entirety of Puget Sound and all of its waterways. Turn around 180 degrees and the Olympic Mountains are right there in front of you!
Below are some pics from the day. We made the right decision--to leave errands and housework behind and enjoy the days and landscapes that make this place so spectacular!
Mt Rainier over a tranquil Puget Sound at dawn
Arriving on the Kitsap Peninsula - Mt Baker in the background
The Cascade Range coming in to view was we climb out of the valley
Getting up to the higher elevations
Mt Rainier looms large over Puget Sound
AJ feeling inspired on the summit plateau
Mt Baker and Mt Shucksan
Those are some real mountains!
Winter
The eastern Olympic Range
J and A on Mt Townsend
Beautimus
Chris and John on the summit plateau
Afternoon light on the summit
Steep mountains and valleys
Chris and A gearing up to go back down the mountain
Chris on one of the many dozens of switchbacks
Afternoon light - it looks like dusk, but its only 2pm
