Seattle bound, t minus 2 months

[Stoysluttie1]

So i am beginning to look for accomodations around the area since i have to be in Seattle Sunday Oct. 31 through Tuesday evening, Election Day. I am pondering commuting in from one of the following locals, Port Townsend, Glacier, Blaine, or Ocean Shore.

Any advice? Probably will be with the lady and a colleague and his wife. We plan on spending a week, since that is the deal on the condo...and my advisor is paying for it.
Some things we need to think about...how is the skiing around that time of year? What's the shore like at that time of year? Would it be more fun to be closer to Baker and Vancouver, or be more secluded on the olympic Peninsula?

Any advice would be most appreciated and would like to hook up with some of you heads while I am in the area..maybe some biking, skiing, hiking, whatever.

[The AD]

Not quite sure I understand. Would you be commuting to Seattle every day? None of these places are exactly near Seattle. Keep in mind Port Townsend requires a ferry ride that's $12.50 each way (to get to Seattle). That could get pretty expensive if you have to make the trip lots.

I wouldn't count on much skiing. We don't usually see big accumulations until the end of November.

[FigureEleven]

Your plans for commuting are INSANE! If you want to be in seattle, live in seattle... drive as little as possible... traffic sucks.

[Snow Dog]

Skiing? On November 1st? Ha. Glacier is 3 hours from Seattle. Blaine is 2 hours from Seattle and at least an hour from Vancouver. I hear Seattle's a fun town. Stay there.

[fiddler]

Best bet: stay in Seattle. If you have some free time and want to cruise, rent a car and take day trips. The ocean will be nearly deserted and beautiful and although it's a long way from Seattle it would be worth going. Weather is very unpredictable and could be warm and dry or cold and stormy or any combination of conditions you can imagine. The islands are closer and also beautiful. Come, meet up with maggots, you'll have fun.

[Zeedashbo]

you could have some skiing then. earliest opening since i have been skiing was october 26 at stevens in '94. in glacier you can always drive up glacie creekr road and climb to the west shoulder of baker (heliotrope ridge???, i'm not sure) and check out the hanging seracs and actually climb on some not too crevassed glacier above the treeline. the skiing is definitely a big gamble that time of year, cause it will be too cold for summer type skiing, and usually too early for any type of pow. so unless you want to hike your ass off for some sheisty turns don't expect to ski. as for where you should stay, i would probably pick the olympics. it's just so darned beautiful out there. if you stayed in glacier, you could be attacked by wild bakerboy's.

[Buster Highmen]

The surety of snow at that time is flimsy at best. Consider renting the cabin at Alta Crystal Resort, just outside MRNP. Good mountain biking, hiking, the White River is right there. All within about 2 hours of Seattle.

It's really weird how there's so few good places to stay in the mountains near Seattle. There's some cabins up in Index and Skykomish for rent, also about 2 hours out. Good climbing and hiking with Scenic Hot Springs closeby.

The coast is also a great idea, but way too far to commute into Seattle for the day. Langely on Whidbey Island is cool, but also tought to get to on a daily basis.

The best ferries to connect to Seattle are either Bainbridge. which goes into downtown or the Edmonds/Kingston ferries, where Edmonds is about 20 miles N. of Seattle. The traffic is horrendous.

Another option is Vashon Island, regular ferries to Seattle and West Seattle. Don't know much about accomodations there.

Being nubbler bound, I'm not able to get around much, but you'd be welcome for dinner, beer and hanging out here.

[The AD]

Kalaloch Lodge on the Pacific coast in Olympic National Park would be a cool place to stay, too, regardless of the weather. Obviously this would have to be when you don't need to be in Seattle. It's out there a ways.

http://www.visitkalaloch.com/index.htm

[Stoysluttie1]

Thanks for the advice. I should have been more clear about the trip. I only need to be in Seattle for two days, Monday and Tuesday. The rest of the time I am there will be for play, relaxation, and exploring.

That is why being further away is not so bad and we would not mind commuting in those two days.

[dubu]

Busters idea about the crystal resort is a good one, given the time of year I would stay away from the Olympics(rain forest) and head to the cascades, if its crappy out you can hit stuff on the east side then you have a good chance of staying dry and it will be warmer.

[Rusty Nails]

I freakin' love Port Angeles on the Oly Peninsula. Great hiking on Hurricane Ridge (can't wait to do some touring there this winter), awesome day trips everywhere including Sol Duc hot springs. The town is cool and the ferry leaves for Victoria, BC right from downtown PA.

[Zeedashbo]

Originally posted by dubu
given the time of year I would stay away from the Olympics(rain forest) and head to the cascades,

because it is sooooo dry in the cascades. especially glacier.

[Buster Highmen]

The coast is always beautiful, but it's going to be even colder and rainier than usual. That said, be sure to hit Ruby Beach for a day. It's a microcosm of all the cool stuff: big rocks in the surf, a cool little stream and inlet teeming with sea run cutthroat, anemonaes, shrimp. And of course, the miles of pebbles. It's south of the Hoh river forest, another worthy stop.

[fiddler]

Originally posted by Rusty Nails
I freakin' love Port Angeles on the Oly Peninsula. Great hiking on Hurricane Ridge (can't wait to do some touring there this winter), awesome day trips everywhere including Sol Duc hot springs. The town is cool and the ferry leaves for Victoria, BC right from downtown PA.

Not only Hurricane Ridge, but Deer Park is my favorite spot over there. It is east of Hurricane. The unpaved road goes up Blue Mountain to 6000 ft. Might be snowy up there by that time of year though. Since the ranger station at the camp ground closes soon there isn't likely to be any road maintainence.
Then there is always Winthrop over the North Cascade Hwy. There really are too many cool places to mention or even remember all at the same time.

[fiddler]

Originally posted by Buster Highmen
it's going to be even colder and rainier than usual.

What does your crystal ball say about opening dates at the ski areas?