Blue Mountain 2/10/2007

On Saturday, along with ten other hardy souls, I climbed Blue Mountain in Olympic National Park. Starting at the Slab Camp trailhead, we all summited Blue Mountain after 3000 feet of elevation gain.

Views were as breathtaking as the sky was clear. Please see the pictures below which I took on or near the summit.

Blue Mountain

View From Summit of Olympic Interior

Paul on Summit (Mount Baker in Background)

Vivien and Jim on Summit

Steeple Rock 2/3/2007

Friday was a good day to climb Steeple Rock, near Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park. Pictures below were taken along the route as Ron J and I snowshoed to the Rock, first dropping down to the snow covered Obstruction Point Road, then hiking to the base of the rock to begin a steep ascent.

We ascended the Rock's south side to a ridge, then crossed over to the North side and began climbing up a snow-covered gully leading to the Rock's summit.

Obstruction Point Road With Steeple Rock in Background.

Here I am preparing to climb the Rock.

Steeple Rock Against The Blue Sky

Steeple Rock Summit

Snow Pinnacle Near the Rock

View From Steeple Rock

Trip Note: Snowshoe cleats bit into the hard, consolidated snow, providing good traction. Due to the somewhat icy conditions, snowshoes or crampons were definitely necessary. Climbing up the gully to the summit required an iceaxe; going without one would be foolhardy.