Yesterday was a very untypical Pacific Northwest February day. We had blue skies and sun with temperatures in the fifties. Rosie and I decided to take full advantage of this gorgeous day and packed our cross country skis and snowshoes, along with our winter gear for an adventure in Olympic National Park.
Our destination was Hurricane Ridge, a 17 mile drive that ascends 5,200 above Port Angeles, which is right on the Pacific Ocean. It was a lot of driving -- over three hours each way -- but we were rewarded with an unforgettable day in a spectacular setting.
The panorama from the peak provides a stunning range of sites with the seemingly endless jagged Olympic Range to the west and south, the Pacific Ocean, and Vancouver Island (Canada) to the north and the Cascades to the east. It is a breathtakingly beautiful location.
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| Rosie snowshoes between trees with the Pacific Ocean and Vancouver Island beyond the ridge. |
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| Rosie's long shadow stands out as she snowshoes into the setting sun. The rugged Olympics are a stunning background. |
We planned to cross country ski but realized the conditions were a bit too icy so we were glad we had our snowshoes.
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| Rosie |
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| Brad and Rosie on a peak above the Visitors Center |
Despite the somewhat icy conditions we ended the day with a short ski run into the sun. It was a day to remember.
