Lovely Ellinor

This is a beautifully maintained trail on the east side of Olympic National Park. The gravel road leading to the trailhead took some time, but there weren’t TOO many potholes, and while we took a Jeep we did see a girl make it in her little Nissan Versa. The trail is steadily uphill and shaded until you lose the treeline and go through the boulder field. That part of the hike feels like forever, but really isn’t that long… and then you’re at the top! Sweaty, short of breath, possibly sunburned and dehydrated… but the views are stunning, and you can get down in about a third of the time it took you to get up. I didn’t take my dog too far beyond the boulder field because it was just too hot for him. My friend stayed back in the shade with him while I summitted, so just keep the heat in mind when hiking this time of year. This hike was ultimately very rewarding!