Mount Constance
Because there is less precipitation on the east side of the Olympic range, the terrain on Constance is markedly different than what you would encounter on Olympus, just a few short miles away. The warmer average temperatures factor in as well, and the result is less snow, fewer glaciers and a higher tree line.
Constance, like most of its neighbors, is a steep-sided mountain. It rises from the banks of the Dosewallips River, climbing almost 7,000 feet in only three miles. (In other words, a distance of three miles horizontally would show a difference of 6,900 feet.) When you are on the summit, the icy waters of Hood Canal are only a dozen miles off to the east.
The trail to Lake Constance is the steepest trail in the Olympics with an elevation gain of 3,200 feet in just over 2 miles.
Although there are no glaciers on Constance, extensive snowfields accumulate during the winter and cover the entire cirque. Usually the melt begins in April and is largely over by July.
Not this year.
About Ken Campbell
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A story of sea kayaking and science on the rugged coast of Alaska. Coming – Spring 2014.
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