Greg P. and I made a day trip of it. The weather has been exceptionally good for late October and we had views of Baker, Shuksan, Whitehorse, Three Fingers, Glacier, Rainier, Iron, Mystery, Deception, and Gray Wolf just to name a few.
Summit via Upper Trailhead Date Climbed: Jul 20, 2008
Nice little hike to get some exercise and check out a good view. I got a late start (4:30) but was glad I did as the trailhead was packed from the weekend crowd. Fun hike, and I liked the paved road for most of the drive in.
My husband and I have been up Mt Townsend many times. We tend to take route I,1. I recently took a girlfriend up there and she was in awe. Love the views.
Road too snowy to drive closer than 1/2 mile from the lower trailhead. No one had snowshoed any further than the upper trailhead since the last snow. Trailbreaking in about 16-18 inches of heavy powder. Very slow going, so I only got about half way to the top. I'll try again later.
Started at the lower trailhead with Kyle (9) due to confusion with the USFS road numbering. Reached the summit in 3 hours on beautiful day and saw the Blue Angels flying over Seattle across the sound.
Hiked the summit in the summers of 1992 and 1993. Loved the views of the Straits of Juan de Fuca and Mt. Baker and other Cascade Volcanos. Nice relatively high vantage point in only 5 short miles.