Mount Townsend, Little Quilcene River — Thursday, Apr. 29, 2004

Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal

Attempted the Little Quilcene trail route to Mount Townsend. We were armed with a good shovel and snow shoes, but still did not get close enough. The road is blocked by a few stubborn patches of icy snow about a mile before the trailhead. These are right by the steep drop off, so we did not attempt to cross in the Honda. I am guessing they will be gone in a few weeks if we get some rain. Otherwise it is a mile walk to the trailhead. The trail itself is clear for the first mile (to Sleepy Hollow), but from then on there is snow, three or four feet deep in places. In the warm air of the morning it was turning to slush and seemed a little dangerous. We chopped a trail across the steep parts for a hundred yards or so -- and it looked like some folks had gone through without snowshoes. But when the dog started falling down the mountain we figured it was best to turn back. I plan to try it again in a week or so.