I forgot to take my phone on this hike, so the post has no photos.
I hiked from the Madison Falls parking lot on the lower Elwha River up the Hurricane Ridge trail until I came out into the alpine meadows. I had lunch, then returned the way I came.
I split this trail into two parts so I could do it in two day hikes. This hike was the lower section. Later I'll hike from the Hurricane Ridge parking lot down to the point where I left off in the meadows.
I left home at 6:00 am and started hiking at 8:00. One hour of brisk hiking on the road brought me to the trailhead at 9:00. The trail climbs steadily through the forest with many switchbacks. At first there was a lot of ferns and brush, but as I got higher the forest became more open. It seemed like I was crawling up the switchbacks, stopping often for rest breaks, but as the morning wore on I made good progress. It was a lovely day, cool and clear.
About noon I began to see a break in the forest above, and soon I came out into the bottom of the meadows. I lost the trail and had to break through the bushes until I came across it higher on the slope. I struggled up one more switchback and took my lunch break at 12:40 pm.
I could see everything in the Elwha River valley below. It was gratifying to see the areas I've hiked in the past, especially up the Elwha and up Boulder Creek. After lunch I hiked up another switchback to a prominent tree that I can use as a landmark when I return to finish the trail. This was about 4,500 feet elevation.
I started back down at 1:20 and enjoyed an easy descent. The trail seemed so much more pleasant on the way down. I got to the trailhead at 4:00 and I was exhausted and my feet were sore. Took a twenty minute break, but my legs didn't want to get up and hike again.
Hiked down the road slowly and finally came to the trailhead at 5:00. I was glad to change my shoes and get in the comfortable seat of the car.
Got an ice cream cone in Port Angeles and arrived home for dinner at 7:00.
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