It's time for the long-awaited second blog post about my trip to the Olympic Peninsula! Before heading toward the coast, my girlfriend and I spent three nights at the Deer Park campground on the northeast side of the national park. The weather was very warm and sunny, but not nearly as oppressively hot as in the lowlands, and there were some shady spots in the campground to relax in during the afternoons. Deer Park is pretty high in elevation for a car campground - around 5,000 feet - and there are great views everywhere.
Deer Park to Maiden Peak
The first hike we did was the Deer Park to Maiden Peak route, heading west from the campground. Below is the view from the slopes of Maiden Peak, near our turnaround point. The lighting is harsh in this one, but I like the grand sweep of the view, and how the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the Dungeness Spit, and Mount Baker are all visible in the distance. F/20.
Next, avalanche lilies blooming in the forest. F/6.3.
Deer Ridge
The next morning, we hiked east from the campground, along the Deer Ridge trail. It seemed quieter than the Deer Park to Maiden Peak route; maybe that's because it isn't really featured in day hiking guides. (More frequently, I see route descriptions that start at Slab Camp and hike steeply to Deer Ridge from the other direction). That's surprising, because the first couple miles feature amazing views with almost no elevation change. A short, easy hike fit the bill for this particular morning, as we could be back at the campground resting in the shade for the hottest part of the day.
Here's a view looking out over the Gray Wolf River valley, with paintbrush blooming in the foreground. F/14.
Below, a closeup of Olympic onion, or scalloped onion (Allium crenulatum). F/5.
Blue Mountain
A trip to Deer Park wouldn't be complete without visiting Blue Mountain, a nearby summit with an easy trail to fabulous views. If I recall correctly, it's the site of a former fire lookout; with views in every direction, it's easy to see why.
First, a mountain view with some interesting rocks in the foreground. F/18.
Next, evening sunlight streaming into a valley below. F/14.
We stayed on Blue Mountain until sunset. I had some trouble getting good compositions in the changing light, but I am still happy I got to see sunset up there. Here's a view out to Mount Baker, faintly visible in the haze. F/16.
I really like how the light in the next one turned out, more than I expected. Unfortunately, if you look closely, there are a couple little splotches of light where bugs caught the sunlight and became visible in the composition. Maybe they aren't too obtrusive, though. F/14.
Campground and Vicinity
The views from near the campground are noteworthy in their own right. The campground loop roads have decent vantage points, and a few short trails lead to even better viewpoints. Here are some compositions from the evenings, progressively closer to sunset. I'm not sure which I like best. The bleached wood in the second is very striking, but the sky in that one ended up a bit uneven. The first F/14 and the others F/16.
Finally, a view of the moon on our last morning there. F/16.
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