I took the Seattle-Bainbridge ferry at 6:10, and arrived at the trailhead in a little under 2 hours. About 6 cars in lot. Started walking by 8:20. The rhododendrons were stellar - the main reason I hike this trail every June. Still peak bloom and visible along the trail for the first ~2 miles. NOTE: sign at trial junction for Silver Lake and Mt Townsend missing, so go right. Up to the saddle in 2 hours and spent time walking across the ridge admiring the views and abundant wildflowers. Hiked to the highest point in the big expanse. Snow free the entire way, tho patches are visible off the trail. Hiked back to car in about 2 hours. Mt Townsend doesn’t disappoint this time of year - so much in bloom!

Day hike up to Mt Townsend from the Upper trailhead. Pretty much 8 miles on the dot. Was mostly cloudy going up so didn't get too many views on the first 4 miles, but got to see some peaks through the clouds once we got above the tree line at ~3.2 miles. Trail was in great condition, completely snow free. A very consistent gradient made this not a complete walk in the park, but a nice little challenge.

The bountiful spring blooms made up for the cloud cover and chilly conditions up top. The Pacific Rhododendrons are at their peak, which made the lower elevation and usually less interesting part of hike extra dreamy. Being a holiday, we had to park our car almost a half mile from trailhead (arrived at 10:30am). Consider parking at lower trailhead if you go on a weekend or holiday.

Our group of 4 arrived at 8 am, and started off around 8:15. Only one other car at the Upper Trailhead. It was cloudy, but no rain, and the trail was in excellent condition. Only one minor patch of snow, which will melt in the next few days. At the top, we were lucky enough to get intermittent views as the winds blew through the valley. We saw a couple trail runners and a few hikers coming up as our group descended. The trail was in excellent condition. Flowers everywhere! We finished by 12:30. No TP in the vault toilet, but otherwise, all was well maintained.