Trail is melted out enough to be fine for the typical hiker. There is still a fair amount of snow in the vicinity of Windy Lake, as well as one big patch just before the final pull up to the summit ridge. However, none involve any nasty slopes. No need for an ice axe; ski poles are helpful in a couple of places but not necessary. Two deadfalls across the trail, easily passed by hikers (one might create some complication for horses). Windy Lake is just starting to thaw out; most of the campsites thereabouts are snow covered. The large summit area is almost snowfree. Snow appears to be melting fast. Views were spectacular as usual, though the murk over Puget Sound made Seattle very hard to see. Tops of Rainier, Glacier, and Baker were visible. Temperature plus breeze combination on the top was just about perfect for comfort. Flowers are mostly in the glacier lily / wallflower stage, though a few lupine and paintbrush are just getting started in the lower rock gardens. Lots of phlox in the lowest open areas.

The trail has 2 areas of snow: 5 minutes of snow-walking at the 5000 ft campsites, and 2 minutes of snow-walking just below the 6000 ft ridgetop. Three trees cross the trail. Biting flies are active at the summit. No flowers or Rhodies, yet.

Great day, great hike. The trail is in excellent shape, with some fairly extensive snow patches about 2/3 of the way up. The path is easy to follow, and it is snow free at the top. Try to choose a day like today when the views are great, and the occasional squall can be followed as it approaches, then sprinkles as you sit down to lunch. Excellent milkshake at Daobob's Oyster Place in Quilcene.

I started my hike up Mt. Townsend on the Little Quilcene Trail from the snowfree 2860 road. The trail is in great shape to the 4600' level where I started to cross small skiffs of snow. At the southern end of Dirty Face Ridge snow covered the trail in most places and continued, as I transitioned onto the Mt. Townsend Trail, up to four feet deep as seen in moats around trees. A short distance further along, the trail gains a more southerly exposure and from here the way became either wind scoured of snow or covered with wind compacted snow. Almost three hours to the top with very little postholing on the way up. Minor snowin' and blowin' at the summit with storm clouds moving in and out and looking wonderfully nasty over The Needles. Descent took two and a half hours with a bit more postholing, but snowshoes would have been much more trouble than worthy.

Started at the upper East trailhead, which you get to by driving up FS 27 making left where it says dead end ahead, (its about 1 mi down this rd)and located in sharp s-turn right before rd turns to dirt at about 3500 ft. We were the only people on the trail all day. Trailhead at about 3500 ft. Within 1/2 mi there was a couple inches of new snow; it got progressively deeper, there was about 8-12 inches on top. Never used snowshoes or even 4pt crampons. When one starts up the trail is easy to follow until you get to an open area. Travel across this field for 200yd/or so, then be sure to turn right and switchback up the field more, you will soon see the trail again. Our ""leader"" did not see the turn, and started climbing more steeply and realized they were wrong. The trail has a great, moderate, steady grade/angle, maybe 10% all way up. We were able to follow trail most of the way. One can switchback up and up to Windy Camp, we found a sign pointing ""trail"" to the right. (Theres another trail to the left to a lake (?Silver), do not go left. We came across more meadows and headed straight up on the snow, cutting across the trail. There was another trail junction where we again headed right. At 5600 ft the snow was partially melted off the trail. We hiked up a wide ""gully"" to a low point on the ridge, turned right and headed up to the summit. There were a few places where the snow was windblown and hard packed, and couple of icy spots, but this could be all avoided. There was a lot of bare rock. Sometimes we went through drifts that were up to our knees. 3.5hr up (4mi up) and 2.25 down. Had several relatively short nice glissades on the way down thru the new snow. We had a wide variety of weather: mist, clouds, than the sun came out right when we got to the summit. Had a great 20 min lunch stop out of the wind and in the sun. Got a few glimpses of surrounding peaks. No distant views of Sound or Seattle. The Olympics are a great place to go in the ""off season"". It feels so ""peaceful"" there.