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| Morning alpenglow on Mount Olympus. |
Mount Olympus is one of the more magical places to visit and experience in my home state of Washington. It's special in its uniqueness of low sprawling glaciers, remoteness, and isolation. It's not a mountain you can drive to. In fact, I know of only two places you can see it from pavement - Hurricane Ridge in the far distance, and SR 110 near La Push.
Instead, one must venture on foot, approximately 18 miles each way to this viewpoint (36 miles round trip) to the moraine of the Blue Glacier, the prominent glacier in the forefront of these images, for this view. It's an amazing view in person that images do not do just, in my opinion.
However, the trek into this mountain is just as much about the journey as it is the final destination. It begins at 578' in a temperate rain forest and climbs through many ecosystems in its climb to the base of the mountain at ~5,000'. Each has something special to offer.
As many times as I've done this trip, my itinerary was much different this time. You see, I've climbed Mt. Olympus many times, always having set a high camp on Snow Dome or Panic Peak. In fact, I've only stayed at Glacier Meadows, the popular base camp for the climb, once. It was on my last climb and during our decent when our sole focus was on the long trek out. There was no interest in climbing 800' back up to the moraine with such a long day ahead! As such, I never had the opportunity to photograph this view from the moraine.
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| Mount Olympus illuminated by the moon. |
This was about to change.
After the long backpack into Glacier Meadows, I hiked up to the Moraine to scout it for the following morning as I would be traveling in the dark for sunrise. It was mostly as I remembered it. I spent a good part of the afternoon soaking it all in. Incredible.
As a bonus, I was surprised to see an old friend ascending up the trail - Dave Skinner! Dave is a local icon for all his dedication to the Olympic Mountains over the years. He lives outside of Port Angeles, off the grid, and hitchhikes to trailheads to perform volunteer trail maintenance. He was on his annual trip up to the research hut on Snow Dome for the next week, which is where I first met him many years ago. We visited for over an hour, catching up on just about everything. This pleasant surprise made my day.
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| Dave Skinner on Blue Glacier Moraine. |
I set my alarm for 3 am the next morning and was on the trail by 3:20. I arrived atop the moraine at 4:20 for a 5:30 sunrise. Lots of time to fine-tune composition ideas and also catch the moon illuminating Mt. Olympus!
Sunrise light was delayed at first, presumably due to clouds or smoke to the east. But it gained traction in short time and did not disappoint. I played with several compositions, including features atop the moraine as forefront material. But in the end, the Blue Glacier with all its immensity was my favorite.
The end of the shooting hour came much too quickly, as it often does, and I found myself having to say goodbye to this beautiful place. It was hard to let go.
I descended to camp and packed up for the long trek out. The memories still dancing in my head would last the duration of my exit. And so did the smile on my fact, I am sure!
I spent my next evening at the Olympic Guard Station and reached civilization the following day. It was the end to yet another amazing trip to Mt. Olympus. This time, amazing for much different reasons.
As always, thanks for looking. Hope to see you on the trail!
