Mount Townsend — Wednesday, Jul. 21, 2004

Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal

Two years ago, I hiked Mt. Townsend in early July and the wildflowers were fantastic. With the early spring in 2004, I wondered how many flowers would still be blooming but I wasn't disappointed. Lupines, Indian Paintbrush, little yellow daisies and penstemon were in bloom and the views were incredible as it was a clear, sunny day. I did encounter bugs, which I decided were bees, as I went through the midpart of the trail where the wildflowers started. They followed me all the way to the top, but seemed to be more interested than mad. Perhaps they liked the scent of SPF15? There was a cool breeze at the summit that blew most of the bees away, although one sat on my water bottle through lunch--she seemed thirsty. I never got bitten, except by a fly. Dogs might have trouble with the bees though.