Welch Peaks — Sunday, Jul. 8, 2018

This starts at the popular (crowded) Mt. Townsend TH and shares the trail for much of the way. As described, you follow the Silver Lakes trail branch and then leave that trail to follow the ridge crest. The bulk of the trail is a ton of well-maintained switchbacks, crossing through pleasant forests and wildflower meadows. Once you get to the ridge, that situation changes. Due to loose footing and steepness, this slows down your progress significantly. I had a lot of fun negotiating this part, however I would not recommend taking children, dogs, or anyone who feels uncomfortable with heights because some parts have steep drop-offs and others require some basic bouldering (hands required). The final summit has quite lovely views in all directions (we had peek-a-boo appearances of Mts. Rainier, Baker, and Strait Juan de Fuca). On a crystal clear day, the view would be even more spectacular. I haven't been to the summit of Mt. Townsend, but I imagine the view is quite similar (you can see people trudging up to the top in the distance), but more solitary.