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
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