Winter Scramble - Mount Ellinor

Big Creek TH 6am. There will be carpools from Olympia TBD.

Sub-group to meet at Lower TH, 8am and converge with the Big Creek group at the jct.

You must have done Snow II in order to participate in this trip.

The philosophy of conditioners is an interesting one. Most people concentrate on speed. But what about endurance? What about pulling a 13mi, 5300ft day, including a long approach with gear, and a knee-grinding descent?

So, let’s do a little of that type of conditioning, on Mt. Ellinor, bottom to top, from Big Creek, before we get onto the big mountains!

The first 3 miles is a pretty hike through the Olympic National Forest to get to the lower TH jct. Then a steeper hike with some snow to the upper TH jct, and shortly thereafter, the trail ratchets up and gains 2144ft in 1.5mi, including the infamous chute, ridge walk and 2 false summits.

Right now the plan is:

Meryl will lead Big Creek group, up 3 miles and 2000ft, starting at 6am.

Delores will lead the Lower TH group, and will meet the Big Creek group at the trail jct at 8:15am.

The whole group will continue on the 6mi, 3300ft el scramble.

Plan is to reach the chute by 10:15 and up to the summit by noon, when the glissading gets good! 

When you request leader permission, please indicate what group you'd be most interested in joining. Depending on logistics, we may do a car shuttle back to Big Creek, saving the early-birds the final 3mi descent.

This is a long day and we'll likely get dinner in Hoodsport afterward (though you'll have earned that Easter Brunch on Sunday as well). Please don't make any plans afterward. ETA in Oly is 9pm, panic time midnight.