Elwha to Hurricane Hill

Trip was on Sunday 3/22/2015. Very strange winter conditions. Forecast was for 100% rain as we reached the meadows at ~4300' (around 12:30), but instead had bare ground, diffuse sunshine, and temps that felt like the 60's (maybe it was the heat radiated from the sere brown grasses we walked through, had a party member that converted to shorts!). Just a bit later at 1pm on the last half mile before the summit (~5300') a completely different story. Freezing temps, moderate winds, light snowfall, and postholing in ~18" of snow (did not take snowshoes). Summited at 1:30pm with ~4 hours up, ~3 hours down, and rain starting in full force just as we reached the cars at 5pm. Lots of silt along the road as we drove out, and even repaired spots where excursions by the river had washed portions of the road out (possibily exacerbated by removal of the dam).