Took advantage of the sun today to do a short hike up Mount Walker. I arrived at the trailhead about 8:30 a.m. and there were 3 other cars. The access road to the South viewpoint is closed for the season so is an option for hiking. I took the trail up to the North viewpoint, then followed the roadway to the South viewpoint. The uphill climb is about 2 miles and gains 2000 ft which was pretty steep for me but probably not bad at all for a more experienced hiker.
The sun today made for gorgeous scenery at both spots. Great view of the Olympics and Mount Baker at the North, Puget Sound and a distant Mount Rainer at the South. Vault toilets are available at both viewpoints and are in reasonably good shape.
I opted to take the roadway down for a slightly gentler grade to save my knees. This option adds 2 miles to the return trip and I found it a bit monatenous but there were some nice views along the way. Just a note, there was very recent logging to the side of the road so use caution since there may be heavy machinery on the road this time of year. There was also evidence of a fairly recent mudslide.
Trail was in great condition, no snow or mud at all. There was one blowdown blocking the road about a mile downhill from the summit but easy to go under. I used poles on the way up to help with the climb but didn't need them at all coming down the road. They would likely be helpful if you choose to come down the steep trail instead. I saw about 10 other people but was alone at both summits and most of the day. Seemed like most people opted to take the roadway up and return on the trail.
6 miles total, took me about 4 hours with a stop for lunch at the summit and a slow climb up.
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