Richard Olmer

So, maybe every hike isn't as long or as difficult as every other hike. Maybe a drive up to Hurricane Ridge and further on to the trailhead for the Hurricane Hill Lookout Trail and a walk up Hurricane Hill is just a "walk in the park." It sort of depends. If, after we top the hill, we turn around and head down to the Elwha Trail and walk out to the point where the trail leaves the ridge and dives down to the Elwha River ... that feels like a hike! Especially when you realize how far down the mountain you've come. Of course, you don't notice how far down the mountain you've come until you turn around and walk back up the mountain.

Then, there is the option to follow the trail downhill when you get to the Little River Trailhead. That's only a short walk from the Hurricane Hill parking area. This trail seems to be seldom used ... and there is a reason. The only natural destination is the other end of the trail and, unless you've left a car there or have arranged to be picked up, once there you face an eight-mile walk and more than a 4,000-foot elevation gain to get back to your car.

There are some interim destinations you can aim for. One is an old miner's cabin and a mine, which is difficult to find ... even if I sell you a map or arrange a guide for you. The other is a wonderful hemlock forest, a joy to behold and experience, but it still is a long climb back up to your car.

The place where the Elwha Trail goes downhill is called Deer Hair Rock, I am not sure why. I also am not sure if the stories that I heard of Basque shepherds brought here to tend herds of sheep along this ridge were real or false. I can see some evidence that electrical power might have come to Hurricane Hill along this ridge. This area has a history. A walk up here is a walk into a new place, a place that changes.

On my first trip up here, there were a lot of deer, a few coyotes, no marmots and no goats. Last year I saw many marmots and one goat, but no coyotes. I don't know if someone helped the coyotes leave. I do know that some folks would love to see the goats gone. Personally I find the goats exciting and an asset. We wouldn't allow human visitors if we banned all non-native populations! Does Hurricane Ridge sound like a natural environment for humans? It sounds more like a space station, not natural!

Sometimes "a walk in the park" is all I need. A 6- to 10-mile hike often is far less exciting than a walk up here. It's just longer. For most folks who come up here to visit, the trip is an alternative to a visit to Switzerland and a lot cheaper. At one time, Olympic National Park was the third or fourth most-visited national park in the U.S.

I always wonder why we don't advertise this treasure. I guess we don't need to, but wouldn't the entire area reap benefits if we did?

The very first column I wrote for the Gazette (March 1998) was, "Does Sequim need to have a nickname?" I suggested something like Gateway to the Olympics. Why couldn't we work with Port Angeles instead of fighting each other for the tourism dollars? All we need is a simple picture and a caption, "We've reserved a place for you, come and see for yourself!"

We also could say something like, "Come take a walk in our park!"

Of course, I'm not an entrepreneur or a rich developer. I'm just a cross between a walker and a hiker who has found a place that he thinks is pretty special.