Day two on the Peninsula. What this hike lacks in distance it makes up for in elevation gain. I was lamenting the fog in Brinnon which made me hold out till 11:00 and then just went for it. As 101 turned away from the water and into the forest the sky cleared, and I perked up.
There were already six cars parked at the gate but plenty of room for a few more. The trailhead is a short quarter mile walk up the road. After a quick upturn the trail starts out rather sedate, teasing upward then flattening out. As you rise though, the angle of ascent and the length of duration increases as you work your way up switchbacks. There are no views but judging by the abundance of Rhodie's this must be a colorful mountain come spring. Small buds are already forming. The trail bed itself is rooty and there are some rocks here and there.
Arriving at the top you find yourself at the north viewpoint. To the west is Constance, Warrior, Welch Peaks, and Townsend. To the north is Hood Canal, Mt. Baker, and on a clearer day probably views all the way into British Columbia. While this is an impressive viewpoint, I found the south viewpoint even more expansive. From there I saw Mt. Rainier with St. Helens low on the horizon. The rest was still blanketed in fog but an awesome view none the less.
You can take the road back down, but I took the trail instead. My knees were barking by the time I arrived back at my car. 5.5 miles total with the south viewpoint and road walk included, and 2000' of gain from trailhead to the north viewpoint. There's very little elevation gain/loss between viewpoints.
Comments
robgirl on Mount Walker
The rhodies are pretty, all seeming to be the same light pink variety. I made the mistake of going after I went to the Rhodadendron Species Botanical Garden in Federal Way, which has every color of flower imaginable.
Posted by:
robgirl on Feb 24, 2024 06:14 PM
Ups n Downs on Mount Walker
I made the mistake of going to the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden before they were blooming! Lol. The azaleas were though, and the bonsai garden was cool. I definitely want to get out on a trail this year when the Rhodie's are blooming.
Posted by:
Ups n Downs on Feb 24, 2024 09:21 PM