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Songs2
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PostFri Jan 25, 2019 1:50 pm 
I am not familiar with the area. Is Hurricane Ridge likely to be snow-free in late April? (I note from the NPS website that prior to mid-May, the road *may* be open weekends.) Would this be a good time of year to visit the Hoh rain forest? The other option is September, but I have cabin fever now. Thanks!

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JonnyQuest
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PostFri Jan 25, 2019 2:02 pm 
On average, the peak of our WA snowpack is about April 1st. So it's highly unlikely Hurricane Ridge will be snow-free come end of April. A quick internet search will find site(s) that track current conditions and provide historical info on snowpack depth at Hurricane Ridge.

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olderthanIusedtobe
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PostFri Jan 25, 2019 2:03 pm 
I would not expect Hurricane Ridge to be snow free at any time in April. The Hoh is probably good any time of year, as are any of the other lower elevation valleys. Also any of the coastal strip portion of Olympic NP is good year round. Some other spring destinations on the Peninsula outside the NP could include Dungeness Spit and Lake Crescent.

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Pahoehoe
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PostFri Jan 25, 2019 2:18 pm 
I did a great hike into enchanted valley the first week of May on an average snowfall year. There were patches in the valley and a couple of big avy debris piles to climb over but it was mostly a non issue. Low elevation rain forest hikes, beach hikes, and low elevation river valley hikes could be excellent in April depending on your weather luck. Definately prepare for rain and do take river/stream crossings seriously. When the snow pack is melting streams grow as the day progresses and warms up melting snow and then drop during the cooler night.

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PostFri Jan 25, 2019 7:04 pm 
late April on the peninsula? you'd most likely be best to sticking with either coastal hikes or low-elevation river valleys. the weather on the coast at that time of year is screwy as hell. you will want to be prepared for everything from driving rain to 80-degree temperatures, and bear in mind it can go from one to the other along the coast within a half an hour.

"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
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Pyrites
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PostFri Jan 25, 2019 8:04 pm 
Listen to Ski, with this amendment. Don’t wade any of the big rivers that time of year. You might be fine on a cold clear day. All you need is a little warmth or rain, and your looking at drowning vs missing your flights. That time of year can be great if you want to set up camp and enjoy a few days in the woods. Best.

Keep Calm and Carry On? Heck No. Stay Excited and Get Outside!
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Pahoehoe
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PostFri Jan 25, 2019 10:05 pm 
Pyrites wrote:
Listen to Ski
People get chastised here for not contributing and then someone posts nearly the exact same thing as the person before and gets credit as if the first post didn't happen... Or maybe because I'm female?

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contour5
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PostFri Jan 25, 2019 10:24 pm 
The coastal strip of ONP is a beachwalking paradise around that time of year, if you get lucky with the weather.

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Songs2
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PostSat Jan 26, 2019 1:18 am 
Thanks to all for your responses and specific recommendations. I am familiar with Inland Northwest, especially Glacier NP and the Yaak, but Pacific NW is new terrain and new weather conditions. It looks as though a coastal tour plus the Hoh might be a nice getaway. My ambitions are quite limited. Pahoehoe, Pyrites, and Ski: Thanks for the reminder about river crossings. Lots of SAR activity in northern New England, where I hike most frequently, around river crossings. Pahoehoe, I will check access to Enchanted Valley. It may exceed my ambitions this trip. Older and Contour5, Thanks for specific recommendations. Ocean any time of the year is excellent. JonnyQuest, That is a useful data point!

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RodF
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PostSat Jan 26, 2019 8:59 am 
Songs2 wrote:
Pahoehoe, I will check access to Enchanted Valley. It may exceed my ambitions this trip
Yes, watch for updates on the Olympic NP Road Conditions page. Graves Creek Road was closed by last December's storm, and has remained closed during the gov't shutdown. I don't know if it was minor damage and might soon reopen, or was more major damage and might take longer. The hike to Enchanted Valley is 13 miles if the road reopens, or 19 miles if it doesn't. Also should be some helpful updates on the park's Trail Conditions page by then. May the weather gods smile for you!

"of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt" - John Muir "the wild is not the opposite of cultivated. It is the opposite of the captivated” - Vandana Shiva
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Songs2
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PostSun Apr 28, 2019 6:50 am 
A quick follow-up: 3.5 days on the ground during the past week meant the trip was mostly an orientation and highlights visit, during a very good weather window. I did not get extensive hiking done but thank those who provided suggestions, which I can now use to plan a second visit! Hurricane Ridge roadway was open, and the day was spectacular. I had the road mostly to myself; a few backpacking groups came up after me. A patch of ice near the top. The Olympics are justly named. Gob-smackingly beautiful up there. I made the acquaintance of Swain's General Store in Port Angeles and purchased a simple camp stool, which features later. Shi Shi Beach I hit in late afternoon so did not explore much; it is on the agenda for an extended visit. The ropy seaweed invites some ink sketches (which also I did not do). Rialto Beach has, amid the sea stacks at the southern end, some sort of standing artistic structure. I thought it might have been placed there by the Quileute people. Cell-phone photos do not show it well, and I did not clamber over the rocky seawall all the way to find out for myself. Any ideas? My local arrangement was with Quillayute River Resort, a small set of 6 attached housekeeping units right on the Sol Duc off 110 alternate. The owners take great care with it - each unit has a hummingbird feeder outside the front window and flowering plantings, e.g. - and the lodging affords good access to many places of interest. I had planned to take a long walk along the Hoh River Trail, but that idea also will be deferred. The "great room" along the Hall of Mosses is mysterious, uncanny, this time of year. An Olympic elk in velvet had settled in for lunch just off the well-traveled path, and nobody wished to pass. This can go on longer than one imagines, I thought to myself. The animal exhibited no signs of alarm, but I decided to leave the large gathering on each side and backtrack to a spot of visual interest I had noted earlier along the roadside. I set up the camp stool from Swain's, got out some drawing materials, and settled in for a vignette of a dead and downed tree in a swampy area with some interesting new growth nearby and a bird perched on top. Immediately, passing cars slowed: What is she looking at? (FOMO) Swamplandia, and you are welcome to it! Dungeness Spit got a 200-yard traverse in blowing sand and extremely strong winds, though on a brilliant day. Another time. A couple of bird ID questions: first is a bird that shows up commonly. With its tail feathers spread it exhibits a bold black stripe, like a chevron, on each half, next to a bold white chevron. Second is a tiny blue bird that was perched on the dead and downed tree in the swamp. If someone knows a website with good bird IDs for Olympic Peninsula, I'd welcome it. Thanks to all for recommendations and photos, especially of the starfish and tide pools. The variety of life surprised me, though no gray whales or seals were spotted on this trip.

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