Mount Townsend — Saturday, Jul. 10, 2010

Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal

If you would like to hike to an incredible viewpoint and be surrounded by a field of flowering phlox, then by all means head up Mount Townsend ASAP. On this day, I started at the lower Sink Lake trail because I wanted to see the lake and some of the big trees. I wasn’t disappointed. The trail climbs steadily but the views start early and keep getting better. My eyes powered my legs and before you know it you are up on the summit ridge. There was but a speck of snow on this day, and I was grateful for the chance to grab a fist full of snow to cool myself on the steady climb. I remember reading that Stanford researchers had developed a hand held device that athletes were supposed to use that would cool their palms during or between work outs, and that new research shows that cooling the palms rapidly cools the blood and aids in performance when heat is an issue. And so The views on top were clear and stunning. Mount Constance steals the show for sheer grandeur, but the views down into Silver Creek and Royal Basin invite future hikes. Mt. Rainier poked above some low clouds as did Baker. The Sound was spread out for survey. Take a great lunch and spend a few hours up top, which is what I did. The Phlox diffusa was truly stunning and filled the air with an intoxicating aroma of perfume. It was strong, and so lovely. The trail is clear, and though the climb sounds high on paper, it is never too steep and the views start early and keep calling you forward.