This is South Mountain is on Simpson land in the Olympics, it has a sh## ton of Prominence and the views are from Seattle to the ocean to Mount Hood to the Hood Canal and more..
I knew that I needed to hike, but first I had to go to an Equinox egg hunt and then I was being pressured to go to Wal-mart to buy equinox bunny stuff. But I refused to be pressured or guilt tripped. I needed to hike, so I did. I hit the trail / road at 1:30 and walked right up the mountain, it was practically a stroll. Wow I’m in better shape than I thought, or I was just full of energy
truck-traffic
There was a sign at the bottom saying the road was closed due to truck traffic M-F and Simpson was putting in new logging roads. The road was plowed up to 2,000 feet so I carried my snow shoes until I reached the parked plow then I put them and my gaiters on. The snow was nice and hard and I could have done it without snowshoes but the added traction of my snowshoe crampons was greatly appreciated.
south-tower-pano
I don’t know what time I summited, but the signs all warning of radio frequencies kept me from staying on the summit for long. The summit was sunny and very windy. The view was good but not perfectly clear. I could see the ocean and the cascade volcanoes and the Hood canal. I could not see Mount Hood; sometimes I can see Mount Hood from the summit.
Going down I had a huge hikers high and feared I had not hiked enough to calm down but then I sobered right up when I saw that trees well above 2,700 feet marked with logging numbers. The numbers that log truck drivers use to tell each other where they are on the road. No doubt, Simpson intends to log all of South Mountain. How very sad. I said goodbye to a few of the trees. I might have even hugged one. My friends will be dead soon.
It’s not a pretty hike up South Mountain but after the next round of logging it’s just going to be butt ugly.
That's on my to-do list when the snow melts. Will the road be open on the weekends all summer?
I don't know what the deal with the road will be. It could be open on the weekends. Don't go there during the week, that's all I know for sure. The snow is not that bad.
Thanks for the report. It looks like there are some really nice views.
I like the picture of Mt Ellinor, Washington and Pershing. I put some labels on the peaks. Did I label any of them correctly or am I way off?
"The mountains are calling and I must go." - John Muir
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"The mountains are calling and I must go." - John Muir
Thanks for the report. It looks like there are some really nice views.
I like the picture of Mt Ellinor, Washington and Pershing. I put some labels on the peaks. Did I label any of them correctly or am I way off?
Thanks for the tags.. I think you got them right. Yes the view up there is amazing, it's the only reason to go up there other than for exercize in the winter. Mount Rose is somewhere in there too I think but from this angle it's hard to tell where rose ends and the big mountains begin. Well I know I can see Rose from Cushman hill anyway..
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