Hiked Jefferson Ridge trail (USFS 808) today. The trailhead is not signed where I started, but my trustry GPS got me close enough so I found it. I was able to drive up the road, in spite of a really rough spot, where some trees and large rocks had come down. Overall this is a delightful trail, with occasional views from the ridgetop. Reaching the top was a bit of a disappointment, as the views were not as good as they were at many places on the trail lower down. The trail is completely snow free. The only snow I encountered was a few lingering icy patches on the summit.

A great workout, a good trail, and the scenery is not bad. Rhododendrons are showing on this trail which makes it even more enjoyable right now.

This was the first time on this trail for most of our group. We inadvertently started at a trailhead about 600 feet (elevation) below the designated trailhead, one switchback further down the access road. This had the advantage of skipping a rough section of road, but made the hike a bit more of a workout. The (extra) first section of the trail is essentially a bootpath, although easy enough to follow once you spot the starting point, which is on the right hand side at a wide spot in the road. It, like the rest of the trail, is fairly steep, and was overgrown with underbrush in places, which could be a problem if you hit it right after a heavy rain. Luckily, our conditions were dry. There were also a few blowdowns, but nothing major. After reaching the first road crossing at the designated trailhead, the rest of the trail, which is in good condition, continues fairly steeply upward, partly in the shade and partly through semi-open terrain. You cross the road one more time and eventually reach the ridge itself, which has a number of nice views both to the east and the north, although you never have a full 360 degree vista. The full round-trip measured about 5 miles, with about 2350 feet elevation gain. We saw patches of snow beginning at about 2600 feet (our trailhead was 1600), and from 2900 feet on there was snow off and on covering the trail. It was never more than a few inches deep, and may well melt with this week's warm weather. The ridge top is at elevation 3800. Most of us found trekking poles handy, particularly on the descent, and a few used microspikes coming down, although most of us managed fine without them.

Jefferson Ridge Daughter and I opened our mountain hiking season. Mount Rose still likely has a lot of snow, and Lena Lake would have been (and was) packed on a sunny Saturday, and we were late starting. Looks like a good call – one truck parked at the Elk Lake trailhead and no other sign of anyone about despite weather and weekend. NB - ONF website is incorrect - details at end. Hiked from the lower trailhead – somewhere 2000’ to 2400’ depending on what source you believe - I believe 2300. Road up (2421) is rough in spots, but elderly Volvo made it. You can get a sedan there with only a few rattles and clunks if you drive with care. Previous entry in the trailhead log was three weeks ago, so we may have made the first ascent of the spring, though melt since then would have obliterated most traces. Great day and good views with some haze to the east. Cool nighttime temps appear to have suppressed the flowers. At trailhead one lovely red currant and a patch of calypso orchids (just 10 yards below and opposite trail). Only trilliums and yellow violet above, and only for the first few hundred vertical feet despite the exposure. Lots of rhody up to and including the 3800’ top, but nowhere near bloom yet. Several patches of dead rhody for no apparent reason. The trail climbs the ridge mostly along the edge of an old clearcut, but with relatively slow growth, there is more sun than shade and frequent views back to Cascades and eventually Canal as you climb. Very little snow in the first stretch to the upper road crossing. Only noted hazard is the frequency of thorny wild rose as a trailside plant. The worst hiking hazard of the whole trip is the 30 yards of ugly scree sideslope climbing the upper roadcut. The trail traps a good snowdrift and has low angle shade from shrubs, so above the upper road there are increasing patches, then stretches of snow, though it appears to be melting and only a couple spots required care. At the top of the ridge, the trail leaves the old clearcut behind, contours one lump, goes over another small one, and climbs a little to the old lookout site. On the way, the views, though fragmented, become better and the snowpack increases to about 80% coverage. On the way around the first lump there is a small vertical cave right next to the trail (upslope side) as noted in some reports. About 8’ deep. We both overlooked it completely on the way up. It is in a tree-shaded sheltered stretch with no snow. Minor routefinding due to snowpack, but once you get around the first hump, all you really need to do is stay on top of the ridge a short ways until you reach the lookout site where the ridge begins an obvious descent (and you can already see traces of the foundation etc, that are already emerging from snow if you look around the edges of the snowbanks). The old lookout site is a little disappointing as it is in forest just tall and thick enough that it offers no view of the Cascades and very little of the wall of major peaks to the west and SW. But there are good views to the northwest - spectacular of Brothers,and if you poke around south to Washington - though both are better before the lookout site. Looking it up afterwards, the lookout post was a 41’ tower, which makes perfect sense. We had lunch on top, enjoying the sun, the scenery and the solitude, and had a pleasant hike down with photo stops etc. Took the road rather than trail down from the upper road crossing/trailhead – the upper half has a solid snowpack of several inches, well below the gate to the big switchback. The lower part needs some rock removal. But now I’ve scouted it and being out in the sun with views on a good day and one of my kids was wonderful - which pretty much sums up the trip. The old trail continues further down the mountain and is easy to locate about 15 yards down the road on the same side that the trail leaves on going up (right). Might be worth finding the other end of for off-season hiking – the first stretch downwards is along the top of a forested 40’ cliff. On the way out, we detoured up to check the Lena Lake trailhead – at 6:10 PM there were still 37 cars. Details. There is no marker for the lower trailhead, but it is on the up side just before you come out of a swithback in the forest and head uphill into a cleared area. The road steepens just after you pass the bend (and has a bunch of rocks that need rolling). There is a trail register a dozen yards up the trail (and I do mean UP) that is visible but not obvious. (Relax, the trail isn’t that steep very often) If you find you are driving out into much more cutover openness, you’ve probably passed the trailhead. At the upper road, there is an orange flag on a stick on the uphill side of the road marking where the trail leaves the road (though this stretch needs to be relocated so it isn’t on slippery scree). The lower trail comes up just a few yards S/W of the upper trail flag. The road is gated about a half mile below the upper crossing. I found no info on when/if it is ever open. If the gate isn’t open, I’m not sure the drive to the gate is worth it, especially if the road hasn’t been cleared a little. Right now, you can’t get to the gate because of snow, so I’d stick to the lower trailhead for a couple more weeks, at least. There are two spurs off the road between the trailheads, which don’t show on some or all maps. At the upper end of the big bend from SW to NE, a road takes off SW. There is also a short spur SE to a slightly trashy campsite just below the gate – they have trimmed a little view window to the west through the trees, but otherwise it probably has no water and little to recommend it. The ONF website page on recreation conditions for this trail is wrong twice! (http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/olympic/recarea/?recid=47855) There is no problem reaching the trailhead, despite the current road conditions report. The obvious way to access it is from the paved Hamma Hamma road so you don’t have to cross the Jefferson Creek bridge. (Though rough with a couple-inch pavement cliff at each end, the bridge is obviously being used.You would need to drive slow and it may be below engineering load standards.) And the map on the page completely mis-identifies the location of the trailhead. The TH marker is placed east of the end of the upper road, where the trail is NOT – NOR is the road. This is all beyond the gate, so it may often be inaccessible by car. Looking at the Hybrid or Satellite views on that page, I figure the upper trailhead is located on the obvious road several hundred yards due south of the symbol very close to where the road makes an obvious bend from NE to NW as it corners the ridgeline (confirm on Terrain version). The lower trailhead is on the same ridgeline, and I place it is in the tight tree-filled hairpin which shows as the last stretch with a good stand of trees. Apologies for the delayed post - posting problems.

We could only find a short sentence in the Olympic Mountain guide on Jefferson Ridge, but I found this helpful description on the National Park site: "The steep to moderate Jefferson Ridge Trail offers hiking along forest ridgetops with scenic views of Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains, and abundant rhododendrons. The trail is graded as "difficult" and climbs from 3,000 to 3,850 feet and is 1.8 miles in length. The trailhead is located near the near the Hamma Hamma Campground on Forest Service Road 2421 and is north of Hoodsport. Directions: From Hoodsport, Travel Hwy. 101 to FS Rd #25 (Hamma Hamma Recreation Area) 14 mi. north of Hoodsport. Follow FS Rd #25 6.3 miles. Turn left on FS Rd #2480 and go 0.2 mi. to FS Rd #2421. Turn right and follow this road for 3.3 mi. to trailhead, or continue on road another 0.8 mi. to gate, walk 1000' up road to trailhead. NOTE: Road is steep and rocky. Need heavy vehicle for traction. 4x4 is best." Exactly our experience. Terrible & very steep road (could only reach lower trailhead in our Ford Explorer) Beautiful rhodie-filled Douglas Fir forest for lower section. Once we corssed the road to the upper trailhead, the trail quickly became less forested and snow covered, requiring our microspikes & poles. Incredible views south, north and east! And from the summit, great views west. Mount Washington to the south and the Brothers to the north are particularly dramatic from this trail. We could not find the old lookout tower base at the top because of the deep snow drifts. The day started out cloudy and then the sun came out and warmed things up. A great way to spend New Years Day! Highly recommended..