Wildflowers at Hurricane Ridge

One of the joys of living here is hiking into the mountains mid-summer, and photographing the wildflowers. Every single year the floral displays are different, richer one year, leaner the next. In full bloom in July, or just emerging from the snow in mid-August. You never know what you'll find, and that makes it an adventure.

Today we woke up at our cabin to clear blue skies, and knew this was the day to take a drive to Hurricane Ridge. One rule to remember: if there are any clouds near the Olympics, save the gas for another day.

The view from the top is one of the best you'll find anywhere in Washington... maybe anywhere. From sea level in Port Angeles to the top of the ridge at 5240 feet, it's a short 17 miles. From the top you can see the peaks of the Olympics, the Straits of Juan de Fuca, Vancouver Island, and Mt. Baker.

Today, as gorgeous as the views were, I couldn't get my camera to focus on anything but the wildflower meadows, especially those that line both sides of the 17-mile drive.