We were a group of four human and two canine hikers today. We hit the trail around 10 am, after navigating the frustrating FS roads. I think some of the signs are down and that may have added to the confusion. The trail is in excellent condition all the way to the top. The flowers were blooming at the first meadow. Warning to dog hikers, there is very little water on this trail. We found a small trickle of a stream early on and nothing after that. When you get to Camp Windy (where the trail gets confusing) walk straight into the campsite area and there is a large murky pond just over the hill. Good enough for the dogs to splash around in and rehydrate. I wouldn’t even drop my filter in that water, but then I don’t have the stomach of a dog. If you skip the pond, just take the trail around to the right, there is a small sign on the tree there. The final accent to the top is switchbacks on the exposed hillside. The summit is beautiful! We lingered there for a couple hours, trying to pick off the tiny landmarks in the distance. We were thrilled by two bald eagles soaring in the breezes above us. The hike down went quickly and we spent some time chatting in the parking lot over a couple ice cold Heinekens. Another “don’t miss” hike in the Olympics. There is a great little restaurant in Quilcene with one of the better pizzas I’ve ever had. The locals will tell you where it is, I forget the name though. If you have any questions about the hike or would like the Garmin tracklogs, feel free to email me at mainsailmainsail @ centurytel.net. (remove the spaces)

Headed over Wednesday evening 8/11 and car camped at Falls View south of Quilcene. Made our way to the upper Mount Townsend trailhead by 11AM on Thursday 8/12; the way up was fairly steep and there was plenty of sun, so we had to work, but as we got above the treeline, the views improved with each step. We camped at a viewpoint near Camp Windy for and were treated to brilliant sunrises over the Cascades and Puget Sound. On Friday morning we left our camp set up and day hiked to Silver Lake, mostly downhill and in the shade. There we enjoyed our lunch and some solitude. By the time we headed back up, the afternoon sun was in full force and the climb was taxing. We then made our way to the ridgetop at Mount Townsend, with the sun beating down on us the whole way. Our effort was repaid with the views at the top, where despite the haze we could make out Mount Baker, Puget Sound, some of the San Juan Islands, most of the Kitsap Peninsula, and even a bit of Canada across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We lingered and enjoyed the scene before making our way down. On Saturday we hiked out the final 2.5 miles from our camp and topped off a wonderful extended weekend with a concert at the Olympic Music Festival and an overnight stay in Port Townsend. One recommendation: bring plenty of water - there are just a couple of small trickles on the way up to Mount Townsend, and the only reliable source of water is the creek that crosses the Silver Lake trail about 3/4 mile from the lake.

Camped overnight just below the north summit. Carried up water from a trickle in the gully just south of the Camp Windy pond. No one else around on top. Clear skies, calm winds, and a full moon. Not enough bugs to care about. Still flowers in the switchbacks on the avalance track.

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.

A friend of mine and I decided to tackle Mt. Townsend this weekend as we heard it had some pretty remarkable views of the Olympics. We should have taken better directions, however. We wound up wasting nearly half an hour headed in the wrong direction. Be warned - bring a map and good directions (the ones listed on this website are not clear)! Roads are ill-marked and signs hard to come by. We also parked at the wrong trailhead - as you near the Mt. Townsend area, you'll see a fork in the road with a sign that says ""Mt. Townsend 1 mile"" with an arrow pointing left down a gravel road. We learned that you should not follow that sign and park there unless you'd like to add 1.2 miles and 600 feet elevation to your trip (which we did). Instead, you should ignore this sign and drive another mile or so to the main trailhead. Weather was fantastic, albeit a bit on the warm side. There were plenty of bugs, and despite bug spray, they followed us the entire way. Whatever they were - they did not bite or anything, just flew round and round us from start to finish. Ignore them and keep trekking - or if you detest bugs - this trail is not for you this time of year! The first couple miles or so was pretty grueling - very steep switchbacks, made difficult for us due to the heat and the fact we took the extra long route!! However, once you get through these portions (in wooded area), you spill out into some very picturesque meadows - all sorts of colorful wildflowers and beautiful butterflies surround you. This is great for picture taking. Best of all, these switchbacks are much gentler. It seemed like each with every switchback, we were provided with more and more spectacular views. The terrain gets a bit steeper again about the last mile or so of the trail, but the beautiful vistas from the top are well worth your efforts. It was a bit blustery at the top (nothing serious - but you may wish to pack a sweatshirt if you plan on staying awhile), but otherwise clear and lovely. It took us 5 hours round-trip from the lower parking lot (10.8 miles round-trip), and that was with ample stops. Note: be sure to bring plenty of water. I would recommend at least 64 ounces. You'll need it if it's hot due to the effort you put out in the first couple miles and also the sun exposure on the upper reaches - stay hydrated. My other recommendation would be to leave early and pack a good lunch, book or journal, so you can linger at the top and relax for awhile before your descent. Overall, I would recommend this trail because of the wildflowers and views from the top.