Rica Canyon topo quad crop, ca 1950
Rica Canyon is cut by the Elwha River through an elevated bedrock formation between the southwest base of Hurricane Hill on the river’s right bank, and east flank of Mount Fitzhenry on the left bank. It is incised mainly through sandstone and shale. It is crowded hard up against the steep convex base of Hurricane (which can be examined at Elk Overlook), and set away from Fitzhenry where its mild concave skirt meets its neighbor. The raw, vertical portions of the canyon walls are 100 to 200 feet high, with very steep approaches extending up to several hundred feet highter (especially on the Hurricane side). … cont’d >