Hurricane Ridge, Port Townsend, and Another Trip Comes to an End

Next-- Hurricane Ridge.  I’m surrounded by the immense and breathtaking wonder of the Olympic Mountains. 

    Carrie Glacier on Mount Carrie as seen from Hurricane Ridge

Millions of years in the making, the natural beauty of this planet always puts life into perspective and fills me with awe and inspiration.

These mountains are  between 11 and 35 million years old--what's a few million years in the grand scheme?  They formed when the sea floor of the Pacific  plate was forced under the North American plate. Sea sediment scraped off the the Pacific plate and adhered to the continental plate as it rose, forming the mountains .  Between about 10,000 and 2 million years ago, glaciers carved the mountains into jagged peaks

The Olympic Mountains are about a mile above sea level. The view changes often.  The craggy ice-covered mountaintops are shining in the sun; five minutes ago clouds shrouded the peaks.

Once again I choose a route that will not be as taxing as the regular hike.  Looking out from Hurricane Ridge visitor center, the views from every direction are fabulous. Distant waters and hills here, mountains and glaciers there.  


This photo is from one of the hikers who took the 'main' route for Hurricane Ridge:

The mountains you see ahead are the same as those in the photo above, only having taken a shorter route, I was much closer when I took that photo.

After lunch, a few of us opt for the short Moments In Time Natural Trail, a 1/2-mile loop that meanders along Lake Crescent, and through old-growth lowland forest. Massive cedars and Douglas firs tower above me.  Large ferns, sheltered by the shade,  cover the ground at my feet.  As I take the loop, I'm sadly aware that this temperate rainforest, these mountains and hills,  all this vibrant life, will soon be part of my journal and no long part of my daily plan.

Moments In Time Natural Trail

Our last hike is to Marymere Falls. The trail is a scenic and relatively easy one-mile climb.  The waterfall plummets ninety feet to a pool below, a rocky grotto is filled with greenery.  

Marymere Falls

From the falls we head to breakfast, finish packing and load the vans.  By 10 A.M. we’re en route to Port Townsend.  This pretty port town of less than 10,000 people has seaport charm.  Closing  our trip here is like making a gradual transition back to ‘real life’.

Port Townsend from https://jeffcountychamber.org/port-townsend/

I’ve been making that transition throughout the trip as I’ve come up against my limitations.  I have been very lucky to be traveling with such an amiable group,  to be with knowledgeable and skilled guides who helped me find the ‘right’ activity when a planned hike seemed out of my reach.  But as I look back on this beautiful trip and look ahead,  I know that this is  likely my last hiking trip.  How very lucky that it was with such good people and in such an exquisitely lovely setting.  

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