Yesterday I went hiking on Mount Eleanor in the Olympic Mountains with a couple of friends. Only about an hour and half drive from the Evergreen State College campus, it’s a really good way to get out in nature. Normally it’s a 4 mile round trip (summit and back) from the upper trail head and 6 miles round trip from the lower trail head, but it’s been so snowy that the road is impassable before you even get to the lower trail head. This meant we had to hike the road for a mile and a half just to get to lower trail head!

It was slow going without snowshoes and having to post hole the entire way so we weren’t able to summit yesterday, but I’ve done the hike a couple times before and can say it’s well worth the effort. During the springtime there are wild rhododendrons and trillium blooming, and from the top on a clear day you have an amazing view of the Puget Sound and Mount Rainier. Often times you will run into mountain goats, which can be a bit unnerving but they are harmless as long as you keep your distance and follow the posted rules about not feeding them or peeing near the trail (they are sodium deficient).

By moving to the Pacific North West for school at Evergreen, I have had the opportunity to visit and see so many incredible natural beauties–things people come from all of the world to see that are suddenly in your backyard. Mount Rainier is 2 hours away, Mount St. Helens is 2 and a half, the Olympics (depending where you’re trying to go) can be as close as an hour and a half. The Pacific Ocean is as close as an hour and a half. There are opportunities for hiking, skiing/snowboarding, snowshoeing, biking, rock climbing, surfing, and canoeing/kayaking. Even if you don’t like those things, on a clear day I’m able to see the Olympic Mountains and Mount Rainier from where I live. It’s pretty incredible. I’ve really enjoyed my time here in Olympia, not just because I love Evergreen, but because of the amazing outdoor opportunities I’ve had in this area.

Hiking Mount Eleanor