A few weeks ago Alex and I had a three day weekend planned with the intention of climbing Luna Peak, a mountain I’ve been dreaming of climbing for years now. As our trip dates approached the forecast grew increasingly wetter, with possible snow forecasted for the summit of Luna. That trip was off the table so I looked around the region hoping to find someplace with a more favorable forecast, but everywhere I looked I just found more wet weather. It looked like we weren’t going to be able to do a backpacking trip after all, but Sunday was looking clear, especially in the Olympics and I got the wild idea that maybe we could squeeze a traditional backpacking trip into a day trip.

Olympic, Washington, Trail RunningSonja SaxeSeptember 27, 2024

Return to Olympus

In 2021 I attempted and failed to summit Mt. Olympus. It was one of my first big mountain experiences after taking a mountaineering course and the mental and physical tolls of the climb left me feeling completely frayed before we even made it to the summit block. I knew that continuing on could be unsafe in my condition so I made the very difficult choice to stop climbing as I watched from afar as everyone else in my group went on to summit. I was so grateful for my time spent on the mountain but there was also a small part of me that felt I had unfinished business on Olympus.

Mountaineering, Olympic, WashingtonSonja SaxeJuly 7, 2024

Journey to Olympus

Deep within Olympic National Park, surrounded by the verdant Hoh Rainforest and a winding network of rivers, lies the park’s crown jewel: Mount Olympus. At 7,980’, this peak is the tallest on the Olympic Peninsula and offers a birdseye view of the park. However, getting to the summit is no walk in the park, the trek requires 19 miles of hiking before visitors even glance a view of their lofty objective.

Olympic, Washington, Backpacking Trips, MountaineeringSonja SaxeJuly 17, 2021 Comments

Royal Skiing in the Olympics

It feels like spring ski season in the PNW! After a winter that required me to postpone or cancel ski trip after ski trip due to storms or dangerous avalanche conditions, winter has finally seemed to have relinquished its hold to spring.

A few months ago, our friend Nate invited Alex and me to go on a spring trip with him into the Olympics for a snowy ascent of Mount Deception or a circumnavigation of Mount Deception, whichever seemed like the better option when we got there. We both eagerly agreed to the trip and looked forward to for the remainder of the season.

Olympic, Backcountry Ski TripsSonja SaxeApril 18, 2021Comment

First Backpacking Trip of 2021: Winter Summit of Mt. Ellinor

On January 17, Alex and I headed to Olympic National Forest to venture out on our first backpacking trip of 2021. We hadn’t been backpacking since early September and were eager to spend a night under the stars again. We didn’t plan on going so long between trips, in fact, this 4.5 month stretch might be the longest we’ve gone without backpacking since we started backpacking in 2015! However, poor weather conditions, moving to a new home, and other personal obligations piled up and our trips kept getting postponed and cancelled.

Olympic, Backpacking Trips, Winter TripsSonja SaxeJanuary 24, 2021 Comments

Head in the Clouds: Backpacking in the Buckhorn Wilderness

On May 22, after nearly two months of being closed, Olympic National Forest officially opened their trailheads back up to visitors. Alex and I hadn’t left the few mile radius outside our apartment since early March and were looking forward to finally heading to the mountains again.

Olympic, Backpacking Trips, WashingtonSonja SaxeJune 1, 2020 Comment

A Royal Hike in Olympic National Park: Photo Diary

Last weekend Alex and I headed out on a quick overnight backpacking trip that we’ve had permits for since March. I’ve been wanting to spend a night in Royal Basin for a couple of years now but had never reserved permits ahead of time, and the walk-up permits proved tough to come by. This year I was able to snag a permit for the Royal Lake backcountry site the day they released, and Alex and I had been looking forward to it ever since.

Olympic, Backpacking Trips, WashingtonSonja SaxeJuly 29, 2019Comment

Seastacks and Sunsets: Backpacking the North Olympic Coast

Over Memorial Day weekend Alex and I headed to the Olympic Coast to embark upon our first Washington backpacking trip of the season. We had our sights set on Olympic National Park’s North Coast. The campsites along most of the coastline does not have a permit quota, but campers still have to show up at the ranger station and pick up a permit.

Olympic, Backpacking Trips, WashingtonSonja SaxeJune 5, 2019 Comments