One last hurrah before the end of the year. Runners, get ready for a fun and festive holiday 10K trail race at Squaxin Park in Olympia, WA on 12/14.

Adventure Dispatch May 6-12

5 May 2016 | Episode |

Mother’s Day weekend is around the corner, and here is your weekly Adventure Dispatch. Tune in:
Hey, hey, hey it’s almost May and the weekend weather looks pretty stellar. Here is your Adventure Dispatch for Olympic National Park.

And here is your handcrafted transcript:

Hello and welcome to your Adventure Dispatch for Olympic National Park. I’m your host Mathias Eichler. This Adventure Dispatch is for the week of May 6th thru the 12th is once again brought to you by The Outdoor Society.

This week’s weather is going to be perfect.

  • In the Port Angeles region and the northern side of the park: Starting Friday, the forecast calls for clear skies and sun, with highs fluctuating in the 60s and 70s. There is a very small chance of rain on Sunday and Monday, but nothing I would consider important enough to reschedule a trip into the beauty of the Northern Olympic Peninsula. This week is going to be amazing and you need to call in sick or take a day off if you can.
  • Along the coast and in the rainforest regions of Olympic, the weather is going to beautiful as well.
    I’d expect some morning fog along the beaches every day, but if it does occur, it will most likely burn off by mid-morning.
    Again, a small possibility of rain on Sunday and Monday.
    Temperatures all week will be in the 60s and 70s and sunny, with the exception of Sunday when it will reach 58 degrees in Forks with partly sunny skies.
  • Out on Hood Canal, the eastern slopes of the Olympic Mountains and Olympic National Park the entire week looks absolutely fabulous. Sunday will be the worst day of the week, the highs around 65 and a 50% chance of rain. Otherwise, the rest of the week will be in the 60s and 70s, flirting with the 80’s toward both weekends with sunny skies and gorgeous views.
    Who doesn’t love to flirt with the 80s?

For the snow, the Winter is over. It has been melting and this week of sunny weather should help with getting rid of some of those final patches on your favorite trails.

  • The snow level in the Olympics will be quite high, reaching 12,500 feet on Saturday. It will drop to 6,500 feet on Monday, but will jump back up to 9500 feet by Wednesday. The snow is melting and this week should help remove lingering snow patches on a few favorite trails. Winter is definitely over.
  • There is still snow on trails though. With snowpack in the Olympics at 91% of normal. Trails around the Park and Peninsula should be snow-free at around 3500ft. And much lower on northern facing slopes. Obviously, there are pockets of lower snow all around, but unless you are climbing a mountain or visiting Hurricane Ridge, I don’t think it will impact your trip.

This week, the following roads are closed in Olympic National Park, restricting access to the following areas: Along Hood Canal, the Dosewallips Road remains closed and will, more than likely never open since it has been closed to vehicles for a decade.

  • Around Port Angeles, the Deer Park Road is closed for the winter, and won’t be open until June. The Obstruction Point Road near Hurricane Ridge is also closed, and more than likely won’t be open until June, as well.
  • The Hurricane Ridge Road is scheduled to be open daily, depending on weather and staffing. This is incredibly inconvenient for folks coming from far, but the road should be open 24/7 in just a few weeks.
  • Out on the Elwha, both the Olympic Hot Springs Road and Whiskey Bend Road are closed due to a washout on the main road. Plans to put a temporary bridge are still in the works, and may be completed in time for the summer crowds. You can still hike out here though, so explore the Elwha!
  • Every other Olympic National Park road is currently open and should remain that way all week. Keep in mind that the Graves Creek Road in the Quinault Region is washed out 2 miles from the Graves Creek Campground. RVs and large cars are not recommended on the road to the washout because the turnaround spot is pretty small.

Campers have a few options this week around in Olympic National Park, Camping in Olympic is currently open in the following campgrounds: Dosewallips, Graves Creek, Heart O the Hills, Hoh, Kalaloch, Mora, North Fork, Ozette, Queets, Sol Duc and Staircase. Keep in mind that only Kalaloch accepts reservations, every other campground is first come, first serve. Finding a spot camping spot shouldn’t be an issue for this Mother’s Day weekend. It’s still early in the season.

Remember, that while both the Dosewallips and Graves Creek Campgrounds are open, access to the campgrounds are walk-in, or bike-in only.

For those visiting Olympic this week, The Outdoor Society’s “Trail of the Week” is the short and sweet trek down to Ruby Beach. Located in the Kalaloch Region of Olympic, Ruby Beach is one of the ultimate coastal destination in all of America. The trail to get down to Ruby Beach is an easy easy half a mile. You’ll be rewarded with stunning views and amazing history, Ruby Beach is a gem of the National Park Service. The sunny weather this week means that sunsets will be stunning and the views of the coast will be incredible. Do not pass up the chance to explore the tide pools and sea stacks at Ruby Beach this week.

It’s Mother’s Day weekend folks. Take you mum out on a trail.

  • On May 14th the Staircase region of Olympic will be hosting a Centennial Celebration. Taking place on a Saturday, visitors are encouraged to show up early and enjoy the events that will take place between the hours of 10:30am and 3:30pm. This is FREE event and is family-friendly, hopefully inspiring you to #FindYourPark at Staircase region of Olympic. Dress for the any weather, wear sturdy walking shoes, bring a lunch and be ready to fall in love with one of The Outdoor Society’s favorite destinations.
  • If you’re stuck at home and need a inspirational pick me up. Valley Uprising, a documentary on the early climbing scene at Yosemite National Park is now available on Netflix. Go watch it.

That concludes this week’s Adventure Dispatch. If you have any questions, please reach out to us on Twitter.

Thanks for tuning in and be sure to catch us next week, same time, same place.

MADE BY EINMALEINS