Mt Walker

 Hiked up Mt Walker near Quilcene to get in some elevation without needing to use snowshoes. 5-1/2 miles round trip with 2,000 ft gain. Happy to be out on a sunny day after all our snow storms.
We only saw a few other hikers on the trail today. We were the only ones to continue on to the south viewpoint.
The lower parts of the trail had a thin layer of snow and ice with some bare patches. The snow was deeper as we gained elevation, The snow was well packed down from previous hikers and icy in places.

 Some small icicles among the moss

 Several gray jays gathered in the trees nearby when I stopped briefly on the trail.

 View of the Olympics to the northwest from the north viewpoint.

 View of Mt Baker and Mt Shuksan to the northeast from the north viewpoint.












From the north viewpoint to the south viewpoint is 1/2 mile each way, the snow here was not packed down.There were a few boot tracks, I tried to stomp down the areas between the boot impressions to start making a packed down trail.














South Viewpoint, Mt Rainier was hidden by the distant clouds, but we could see the Seattle skyline, Quilcene Bay, Hood Canal and Puget Sound. The wind died down while we were here, we were able to enjoy the views and our lunch in the warmth of today's sun.