Wildfires in Olympic National Park
Lightning strikes in late August have caused several fires in the Park. Initially the fires were small, but during the third week in September many have grown. A number of high-use trails have been closed as a safety measure for hikers. The Obstruction Point Road is closed and will remain so until spring of 2024.
Finally, the Hurricane Day-Lodge burned down last spring and as such the services that were available will not open. The Hurricane Ridge Road is open, but there may be closures depending on this fall’s weather. The Park will provide temporary restrooms through the winter season allowing snow sports to be open.
Ordering “Loop Hikes in the Olympic Mountains”
Village Books is the publisher of the book. You can order the book at Villagebooks.com. Usually, they have the book on hand and will ship it to you. However, the demand for the book sometimes outpaces the stock at hand. In those situations, you can pre-order the book and they will ship it to you as soon as they get re-supplied from the printer.
About the Book
“Loop Hikes in the Olympic Mountains” is the first and only book dedicated exclusively to loop hikes in the Olympics. In sharing 65 years of experience, my intention has been to help hikers experience the environment, the Olympics’ grandeur and the mental and physical development hiking demands.
Along with great attention to accuracy, I frequently describe the environments through which you’ll travel. Regardless of which loop hike has caught your interest, there’s more to the experience than the trail itself. Hiking in the Olympic Mountains will expose you to differing altitudes. Those altitudes treat you to entirely different forest types: Lowland, Montane, Sub Alpine, Alpine and nothing but rocks; no forest at all.
There are a lot of experiences in life, each with its own learning curve. Mine, in some instances, has been perilously steep. Hopefully, information and insights I’ve compiled in this book will have a positive effect on how you approach venturing into the Olympic Mountains. Your exposure to the wilderness will test your endurance, resourcefulness, commitment to others and, in numerous ways, your belief in yourself. What you learn from your experience will reflect in how you approach future challenges throughout your life.
Portions of the book focus on a hiker’s strength, stamina, judgement and the personal care required for hard days on the trails. The elements of each loop hike are delivered as a narrative, as though I was hiking right along with you, identifying each segment of each trail and the challenges you’ll face.
The beauty of the Olympics is seductive. Once you’ve entered the realm of animals moving through the cycle of life, stunning meadows sprinkled with colorful flowers, the sound of wind and water, and the gift of light, you’ll feel freed from the complexity of the outside world. Each turn in the trail holds the possibility of something new ordered up by nature itself. You are responsible for your choices and your choices are the product of your knowledge and your knowledge develops from your experience which guides the choices you make.
“Loop Hikes in the Olympic Mountains” is my opportunity to share with you my commitment to helping others gain a better understanding, therein a greater enjoyment and appreciation of the Olympic Mountains.
“Loop Hikes in the Olympic Mountains,” the only book of its kind, awaits you at Villagebooks.com; open a new chapter in your life.
I’ve been writing about some of the elements of the book since March and I will continue to do so. If you or your friends haven’t checked Loophikes.com lately, it will identify when the book is available. It’s what we’ve all been waiting for. There is no better time to order your book. I’m certain that you’ll be pleased. The book is one-of-a-kind, informative, explores loop hikes that haven’t been published as a book. The “Grand Loop of the Olympic Mountains” is a loop that may not ever have been hiked. Whether you’re new at hiking or you’re an expert hiker, the book will be useful and helpful—and it will expand your collective experience.
Loophikes.com provides you with information about the book and information that is not in the book but is relevant to your understanding.
Loophikes@olympus.net provides you the ability to ask me questions and get answers to the best of my ability. All the answers will be available at loophikes.com without identifying the person who submitted the question.
All of the past articles beginning with March are accessible. Click here to visit the Archive page. Additionally, if you’re interested in what’s coming next, here they are:
October 15: Trail Conditions and “Loop Hikes in the Olympic Mountains”
November 1: Questions and Answers loophikes@olympus.net
November 15: Q and A and Weather the critical element in Fording
Visit LoopHikes.com frequently. Photos, information and stories change periodically, but sharing information with you comes first. Questions? Contact me at LoopHikes@olympus.net. Your curiosity is the foundation of building a better understanding. Tell your friends.