Even though we hiked on a stormy day, the view still did not disappoint! The gate at the bottom of the gravel driveway is closed, but there was plenty of room for maybe 10-12 cars to park along the side of the entrance to the driveway. We walked up the gravel road and easily saw the sign for the trailhead on the right side. The trail was in excellent condition, we hiked to the viewpoint, we were up in the clouds and the wind was blowing hard, so the clouds were whizzing past. We caught a peek of the mountains and a rainbow in the clouds, it was beautiful. There are bathrooms at the top, but only the set located near the south viewpoint were open. It is worth walking over to the south viewpoint. Since the gravel road was closed to cars, we decided to walk it to get back down the mountain. The road was in great condition, some small potholes but nothing major. We got a glimpse of a massive rainbow from a clearing on the road as we walked down. I would definitely do this hike again!  

Parking @10am almost full. You have to park on side of the road to keep gate clear and then on the side of 101 which isn’t the safest. Gate for road to trailhead is still closed, the walk from 101 to trailhead adds maybe half a mile.

Trail is well maintained. It’s gets steep pretty much right after the info sign. A good workout with switchbacks as well as long portions of a steep grade. I’m a slower hiker so took me 1.5 hours up. View at the north side was nice of Olympics and the canal. Went to the South viewpoint and that was fogged in. I clocked closer to 6.5 miles with the addition of the road to TH and then hiking around on the top. Beautiful trail I would like to come back when rhodies are in bloom as that would add more to the hike up.

Privy on the Northside still locked South viewpoint bathrooms open.

Lovely trek up Mt. Walker today! I went here for this first time last December, and vowed to never come back. I woke up sick but was determined to not cancel my plans, so up I went and it kicked my butt big time. But today, I wanted a good hike but most of my favorite places are still covered with snow and I didn't want to risk anything with my little front-wheel drive sedan. I knew my disdain for Mt. Walker was only due to my condition on my last trip, so I gave it another chance this morning. 

I got to the trailhead at 9:30 and was accompanied by only three other cars. It was quiet for a minute, but at one point all four of us were traveling upwards together follow-the-leader style. Eventually we got spaced out, and I was blessed with solitude for the rest of the trip, only seeing one couple coming up on my way down from the summit. 

It's a hard one! There's no doubt about that, but despite thinking I'd never breathe again a couple times, I had a blast this time around. I'm aiming for some good peaks this spring and summer, so this is a really great hike for conditioning throughout the winter. 

I expected to be tromping through the snow, but the trail was 100% dry to my surprise. Just a few tiny patches left over at the summit. 

About 0.5 miles from the top, there is a little side trail that I had eyed on my way up last time, and this time I had the energy to explore it. It was a good bushwhack and I had my route-finding skills tested a bit which was fun. There's a nice rock area you could have some extra fun scrambling up too, but being accompanied with my canine companion, I stuck to (mostly) even ground. It was just a short detour and we connected back to the main trail after about .3 miles. 

It was a cloudy morning, but we still got some views! At the North Summit, the base of Constance was poking out in all her glory, and a few other peaks were visible as well. Spent as I was last time, I did not travel to the South Summit, so I was excited to see it this time. The wind was HOWLING! Right as I arrived, rain was moving in and we got a little shower, but we were still able to enjoy the semi-clear view for a minute before heading back down. 

It was hard on the knees and toes on the way down, but I was very satisfyingly spent this time. I'm excited to come back on a clear day as I've seen some awesome pictures from nicer weather days. 

On the way home, we stopped by the Quil Bean for some coffee and a dog treat which I highly recommend. Delicious coffee!

Total time: 3 hours and 30 minutes

Mileage: 6.2 miles

Elevation Gain: 2,195 feet

I had a plan for Notch Pass- the road to get there had me opt for a quick plan b: Mount Walker. 

There is plenty of accessible parking right off the 101 near the gate. The parking area just beside the gate and the road leading up to the trailhead are snow covered, but mostly melting out where hikers have formed a bootpath. 

This is a similar condition to much of the trail. The closer you get to the top the snow gradually deepens and becomes less slushy. Going up was fine with just boots, but for the descent I used traction and poles to help not go sideways. This made things much easier. 

No views today, as it was completely socked in. A few curious Grey Jays. Noticed about a dozen or so other hikers. 

RT 4.36m/2020ft 

This is one of my favorite hikes year-round. Since we had our pup with us, we opted to walk the road.

By the time we arrived at 11:30 a.m., the parking lot was already full, but we had no trouble finding a spot along the highway.

The views at the top were absolutely stunning—Mount Constance was breathtaking. Very grateful for these clear winter days lately!