Hurricane Ridge

We decided to spend our first full vacation day above the clouds. If you noticed what it looked like when we woke up, it was a little bit grey at sea level. After breakfast, we packed snacks and warm clothes into the van, piled in and made our way up to Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park. As we made our way up the winding mountain highway suddenly we found ourselves above the cloud line. We were met by blue skies and a warm sun beating through the windows of the van. What a beautiful day it looked to be! As we got to the parking lot near the lodge and visitors center we all needed some fresh air after the winding drive and got out of the van to be blasted with cool mountain air. There was a pretty strong gusty wind up there, but the park office assured us it was seasonably warm and calm for the mountain area.

At the visitors center we got to learn a lot about the local surroundings- land, flora and fauna. The visitors center is somewhat of a miniature natural history museum about the surrounding area. We had a light snack/lunch in the parking lot and then decided to make our way up one of the nearby hiking trails. The views were spectacular and the photographs don't even begin to do them justice. At one point you could see the clouds down below acting as a blanket to hide the hustle and bustle of the city and surrounding land. It was so nice to have this time away from life's normal routine to relax, to breath fresh air and explore God's creation.

A quick lunch before our hike.

At the visitor center.

King of the mountain.

A burst of color.

Shale. I love all the textures of nature, they are so amazing.

Looking down at the lodge/visitor center.

Snow!

Lichen and moss amaze me. They are often overlooked and trampled on, but I'd rather photograph them.

Someone is relaxed and comfy as she is carried around in a wrap!

The Mr. and myself.

I love the smoky look of these mountains.

Lichen mustache.

A burst of color from a plant who thought it was spring.

The Mr. and Drooler.

Looking down on the clouds from above. See how the clouds cover the city, land and water below? You can see some other far away high ground to the left.

Silhouette of the lift wheel. Hurricane Ridge is actually home to a small ski hill that has been operating for 50 years.

H, J, Drooler and Baby Cake.

One of the tunnels the highway goes through. I think there were three.