This was by far the best day of our time in Olympic National Park. We drove up to the Hurricane Ridge Visitor's Center and figured out the hike to go on with the best views. We had to drive down this one lane dirt road for a ways...and parked in a dirt lot that already overlooked mountains and little glaciers. We took off down the trail that was already on top of a mountain...
...and ate our lunch 30 minutes in! Ha! Whiny kids need food, we thought, so we made our bags lighter from the start. :)
The views were AMAZING. The trail was not complicated, just following a ridge and giving us views in every direction. We did forget sunscreen and ended up asking other hikers if we could borrow some for Grace.
After the amazing 360 degree views, we had a choice to make about our return trip. We could just turn around and walk the ridge trail back...OR...we could go down through the valley and back up again. After some deliberation, we decided to take a new trail home. I was so glad we did!
Julie and the boys took off first--like horses heading back to the barn!--and Jeff and I helped Grace down some of the more technical places in the trail. We met up with them at a little creek that was giving life to all sorts of wildflowers. And then they took off again. :)
THE MARMOTS!!! This made the whole day. These creatures weren't too happy that we were walking through their domain, so their alarm system was activated. They'd stand above their holes and CHIRP! while holding perfectly still. We were cracking up!
At the end of our trail, we had to climb up out of the valley...back and forth switchbacks going up a shale hill! It was so hot! And so hard! Seven whole miles of hiking today...and the kids rocked it!
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