Wow! What a busy year! Hard to believe we finally reached the Labor Day Weekend milestone of the summer season. We are so thrilled to have provided guided hiking tours and backpacker trailhead shuttles for over 2,300 clients so far this year! 2021 has been a season of growth, new opportunities, amazing teamwork, and fantastic memories with our clients. Here is our year in review!
New Tour Operations Center
Before: Port Angeles Wharf Space
After: OHC Set up for Guided Backpacking Trip
After COVID-19 drastically changed our 2020 operations, we were able to move back into Downtown Port Angeles at the Port Angeles Wharf for our Tour Operations Center. After getting our back office set up in the Spring, we introduced the first stage of our Olympic National Park Information & Inspiration open space. Thanks to the partnership and support from Xplorer Maps, we proudly feature their absolutely breathtaking Olympic National Park Map within our “Info & Inspo” space. This walk-up 6’ x 8’ wall sized map and its incredible hand-drawn and hand-lettered illustrations make Olympic come to life in the heart of Downtown PA. Everyday, locals and visitors plan their routes, share their favorite memories, and of course, pose for a few photos in front of this stunning piece of art. We look forward to making our Tour Ops Center at The Wharf a home for our guided tours, small outdoor education workshops, and an inspiration resource to explore Olympic responsibly with confidence.
Olympic National Park Map Courtesy of Xplorer Maps
Mileage from The Wharf to these ONP icons
Launch of Guided Backpacking Trips
2021 also served as the inaugural year of our commercially authorized guided backpacking trips and backcountry guide service throughout Olympic National Park. The year began with Owner, Tommy, and Lead Backcountry Guide, Sean, guiding a 13 student, 2 instructor group into the Enchanted Valley for a 5 day, 4 night trip in early Spring. The guided backpacking season concluded on a high note with our own 4 day, 3 night guided backcountry trip into the Seven Lakes Basin and Hoh River Valley this August, also led by Sean. We look forward to leading more of our own guided backpacking trips, as well as offering our backcountry guide services to other organizations and groups.
Tommy & Sean in the Enchanted Valley
Completion of 5 day, 4 night backcountry trip!
Backpacker Trailhead Shuttle Service Continues Growth
Our Backpacker Trailhead Shuttle Service has never been busier, especially on the Olympic Wilderness Coast! Thanks to Gene, Oscar, and our new “Coast Cruiser” van based in Forks, we were able to offer a daily shuttle service April 1 – September 30 serving all four open trailheads for the South Coast and North Coast: Third Beach, Oil City, Rialto Beach, and Ozette. Thanks to our Port Angeles drivers, Joe and Lori, we were also able to assist with custom shuttles between the Sol Duc, Hoh, Elwha, Quinault, Dosewalllips, and everything in between! We hope to continue expanding our service in 2022 and build more connections with Clallam Transit to help leave your car at home.
The new “Coast Cruiser” shuttle van
The “Ridge Runner” van for tours & custom shuttles
Group Tours and Private Tours Led by Expert Naturalist Guides
Olympic Hiking Co. had the absolute pleasure to return veteran Naturalist Hiking Guides, Tracy and Eric, for the 2021 season. With decades of guiding and outdoor leadership experience between the two of them throughout the Greater Western United States, Olympic Hiking Co. continued to receive cherished positive feedback from our wonderful clients for our guided tours. With unprecedented daily demand for our tours and shuttles, our first-ever Olympic Hiking Co. employee, Jessie, came to the rescue this season to step in as a top-notch guide and Operations Manager. In 2017 and 2018, Jessie built our first tour curriculum and helped shaped our unique itineraries, logistics, and customer journey as we recognize them today. Jessie continued those great efforts in 2021 as well.
Tracy
Eric
Jessie
Our 5-Star Service and Reputation Continues to Grow
Thank you to our wonderful day hikers and backpackers for providing such thoughtful reviews to help us become the top-rated outdoor activity in Port Angeles on Trip Advisor. From snowshoeing to shuttling to guided rain forest tours, we really value your feedback! We will be building a testimonials page to recognize our employees’ efforts and thank our clients for sharing these wonderful stories.
Hurricane Ridge Guided Snowshoe Tour
Hoh Rain Forest Small Group Tour
A Team of Ten?!
As 2021 brought forth an unprecedented levels of operational growth and daily demand, we wanted to recognize everyone individually that helped us reach the summer busy season finish line. Thank you, Gene, for driving more miles and hours than anyone this season or any prior season! Oscar, thank you for stepping in for trailhead shuttles, fleet management, and now some guided hikes! Joe, thank you for making Sol Duc and Hoh Rain Forest your second home and dealing with those long Hoh entrance fee lines with a professional, friendly attitude. Lori, thank you for unselfishly stepping up to help us with ad-hoc weekends with some LONG shuttles on top of your regular Monday-Friday 9 to 5. Sean, thank you for leading two incredible guided backpacking trips, developing the backcountry program, and your advocacy for Cheez-Its. Sara, thank you for stepping in as our on-call Operations Manager with incredible customer service and well-established tourism expertise when our entire team was in the field. Eric, thank you for being the bird whisperer of the Hoh Rain Forest and leading unforgettable moderate day hikes. Tracy, thank you being the ultimate group tour facilitator and educator with an unwavering positive attitude. Jessie, thank you for being the OHC staffing savior to step in for guided tours, shuttles, operations management, and beyond!
And from Tommy, beyond thanking our OHC team, I want thank Port Angeles, Forks, and the entire Olympic Peninsula for being such a great homebase for our company and operations. From our space at the Port Angeles Wharf, to our partnership with Forks Outfitters, and endless tasty sandwiches from Country Aire Natural Foods, we truly value being a locally based Olympic National Park operation and the positive support we receive from locals and visitors alike. We are so proud to serve in this tourism industry alongside such incredible businesses, organizations, and stakeholders throughout the Olympic Peninsula.
Recreate Responsibly, Leave No Trace, and let’s keep this backyard of ours special forever.
- Tommy Farris, Owner & Founder