A whirling snowstorm surrounds us at the summit of the tallest peak in the Olympics.
My guides say it’s the worst weather they’ve ever experienced at the rocky summit of Mount Olympus, a mile and a half above the lush forest floor.
On a clear day up here you can see all the way to Vancouver, British Columbia, about 100 miles away.
On this day, in the swirling snow, we can barely see each other. It’s below freezing.
Still, I can’t imagine a better perspective.
What began as a newspaper assignment ended as a life-altering trip into the wilderness — a 35-mile roundtrip hike done solo capped by a guided ascent of the 7,969-foot peak.
We were on top of the Olympic Peninsula, yet I never felt smaller.
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This starts the first of two articles on PDN outdoor columnist Darrick Meneken’s climb to the top of Mount Olympus. The second article will appear Monday in the Sports section. Click on SUBSCRIBE to get the PDN delivered to your home or office.