The view up the Elwha Valley from Hurricane Ridge is breathtaking —especially early or late in the day when the low sunlight rakes across this rugged landscape. From here one can see some 25 miles into the heart of the Olympic Mountains. It usually takes three days to reach the upper end of the valley on foot. But from here one’s eyes can travel the distance and climb every peak along the way in only a few minutes. But to know this country intimately takes a lifetime.