Alpine Scramble - Mount Ellinor

Hi scramblers! We are planning to go up Mt Ellinor in the Olympics, all the way from Big Creek Campground.

We plan on hiking about 1,000 feet per hour and breaking every half hour for five minutes (with a timer). We plan to summit before 11:30 and be off the summit less than 30 minutes after that. This will be a challenging day and involve time on both wet trails and in snow. The whole day will likely be about 10 hours car to car. Please eat a good breakfast, prevent blisters and generally take good care of yourselves. We need to have self-arrest and self-belay skills, as we will be on steep snow. 

Scramblers, please ask for permission before registering. I need to know what the biggest day of climbing you've had in the past three months. I need to make sure that we are all capable of achieving our goals. 

Assistant leaders, please join me for a zoom call on March 15 at 7:00 PM. I want to go over my expectations of your position, so we can all move efficiently and have a good time. 

I will reach out to participants later with a "Hello Hiker" email about five days before our scramble. We will co-ordinate carpools and additional communication lines then.

We will meet at the Big Creek Campground near Lake Cushman. The exact location is 47.49242* N, 123.21018* W. 

Directions: In Hoodsport, leave Hwy 101 on State Route 119 / N Lake Cushman. Follow 119 the 9.3 miles to its end. This is where 119 ends and people often turn left for the Staircase entrance of Olympic National Park. This is a paved road; and should not have any snow. Parking is available in the lot here or on the road shoulder nearby.

Please do this navigation homework at least 24 hours before the trip, and text or email me if you have questions.

We will be leaving at 6:00 AM sharp. Please arrive about 5:45 to finish your coffee and lace your boots.