Early in September to my surprise, I discovered that many of our residents had never had the opportunity to experience the glory and grandeur of Olympic National Parks Hurricane Ridge. We waited for a perfectly crisp and clear late summer day to fill our bus to capacity and make the journey directly up from St. Andrews Place. It was wonderful to have our volunteer driver Jim Ude at the helm as we made our way to the top. I had the opportunity to speak with the residents about their love for nature and the mountains. We all talked about places in the world we have lived where the mountains made an impact on our everyday lives and were a staple of the landscape. Once at the top we stayed on the bus and gazed out at the magnificence of the Olympic range. It was a heartwarming feeling to watch some of the residents taking in the natural beauty of the mountain that we look up to every day for a feeling of seclusion and comfort. The trip back down was full of conversation about the Olympic Marmot (rodent part of the squirrel family) and the amazing variety of wildflowers and a conversation piece for the days and weeks that followed.
Thanks,
John Ozimkowski
Activities Director
360.417.3418
stapactivity@olypen.com