MOUNT TOWNSEND TRAIL Length 6.3 mi/10.1 km Access FS Road 2760, Little Quilcene Trail USGS Maps Mount Townsend; Mount Zion Agency Olympic National Forest This path, one of the best maintained in the Olympics, begins on FS Road 2760 at approximately 3000ft/914 m elevation and penetrates the perimeter of the Buckhorn Wilderness. The trail ascends through the various life zones and provides superlative vistas of the surrounding country. At first the trail meanders by Sink Lake, which is half swamp and half stagnant lake. In late summer it appears to be turning into a grassy meadow with a stream running through it. After passing a well-maintained trailside shelter, often used by equestrians, the route climbs to the terminus of an abandoned road (1.0 mi/1.6 km; 3500 ft/ 1067m). This is the former trailhead-now usually referred to as the upper trailhead-and it is readily accessible via the abandoned road, but the road itself is not signed to indicate it provides access to the Mount Townsend Trail, and the hiker who follows the road signs will end up at the lower trailhead instead. The trail ascends through stands of fir and hemlock having a dense under story of tall rhododendron. When the bushes are in bloom, during early summer, they convert the forest into a green-and-pink fairyland. Here the trail parallels Townsend Creek, which flows through a canyon to the left. Although the stream can be heard, it is not visible and the trail does not approach it here. The smooth path climbs steadily at a moderate grade. Near a series of rock outcrops the forest changes to a mixture of subalpine fir, western white pine, and silver fir. Although Douglas fir and western hemlock are still present, they are now conical in form, with branches extending to the ground. Numerous open spots occur, and here wildflowers such as the lupine and pearly everlasting grow abundantly. Kinnikinnick creates green mats among the rocks above and below the trail; its red berries are colorful in the fall. The trail traverses beneath a pillow lava outcrop, and at this point the hiker can look down the valley and see a curious blend of virgin timber, second growth, clearcuts, and logging roads. The grade eases as the trail crosses Townsend Creek near its source (dry in late summer and fall). This is typical high country-meadows with scattered groves of subalpine trees; slopes covered with juniper, thimble-jerry, and huckleberry brush that turns blazing red in the fall. A few lodgepole pines are present. Examples of pillow lava are visible everywhere. As the trail climbs higher, the views widen to include Discovery Bay to the left of the Quilcene Range, Puget Sound to the right. A rocky ridge looms up to the south. Making a "viewpoint turn," the trail enters a stand of tall subalpine fir, where a side path leads to Camp Windy (3.6 mi/5.8 km; 5300 ft/1615 m), located in a tiny meadow. The nearby Windy Lakes are little more than potholes, but in late summer they provide the only water along this trail. If the water is used, it should be boiled or filtered. Beyond Camp Windy the trail climbs through stands of subalpine fir to a junction with the Silver Lakes Trail (3.9 mi/6.3 km; 5650 ft/1722 m). The trail then ascends high, open meadows where juniper bushes hug the ground. The Quilcene Range and Mount Walker are visible to the southeast, and one can see Windy Lake the larger one) directly below. The crest of Mount Townsend is a long, narrow ridge with a gentle incline on he west, but a steep drop on the east; thus it resembles a tilted block. The mountain has two summits a half mile apart-the higher one to the south (6280 ft/1914 n), the lower to the north (6212 ft/1893 m). They are merely the highest points on the plateau. Upon attaining the summit ridge, the trail crosses to the west slope, skirting below the south summit as it traverses grassland to the saddle between the peaks. Here the trail divides (5.0 mi/8.0 km). The main trail goes left; the right branch is a spur that leads to the north summit. Once the site of a lookout cabin, this point is littered with bits of broken glass and pieces of cable. Mount Townsend is fully exposed to the west wind, which at times howls mightily here, the grasses waving wild accompaniment. The view is one of the best n the Olympics. Numerous peaks are visible to the southwest-The Needles, Deception, Constance, Inner Constance, Mystery, Warrior, Iron Mountain, and The Brothers. One has only to turn and look in the opposite direction, however, to see Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Cascades, the latter capped by volcanic cones. On a day that is exceptionally clear, the keen-eyed person can discern the buildings in Seattle. But the distant views are not the only attraction. The lucky hiker may also see ravens wheeling and turning overhead. The birds love the wind and are often observed over the peak. Descending from the summit ridge, the trail goes by knobby chunks of pillow lava in high meadowland that is essentially treeless. The peaks to the southwest remain in full view. As the trail descends, stunted pines and subalpine firs appear. The path then switchbacks; here the landscape is sprinkled with bushy lodgepole pines that stand as solitary specimens among up thrusts of basalt. The trail makes a descending traverse at the south end of Dirty Face Ridge, and then rounds a point. Ahead one can see the long scar made by FS Road 2950 where it slashes across the slopes beyond the Dungeness, with one clearcut after another below the road, strung out like beads on a necklace. The trail descends sharply as it crosses to the ridge's east side and switchbacks down into the timber. Here the subalpine firs and lodgepole pines are much taller and larger. Entering a dense stand, the trail comes to a junction with the Little Quilcene Trail (6.3 mi/10.1 km; 5275 ft/1608 m).