Mount Townsend via Little Quilcene Trail

We drove up to the Little Quilcene Trailhead in the northeast Olympic National Forest to hike up to Mount Townsend. this is a 6.8 mile round trip hike with 2,200 ft of gain. The lower portion of the trail had quite a few rhododendrons in bloom, and some lupin near the trailhead.

A short ways up the trail, we had a view of our destination: Mount Townsend.

We saw many different wildflowers in the forest portion of this trail including bunchberries,

and star flowered false Solomon seal.

After joining the Mt Townsend Trail, we soon had views looking southeast into the Olympics

We hiked up the loop on top of Mount Townsend clockwise. Pano looking north from the north end of Mount Townsend, we had clear vies of Mt Baker, Mt Shuksan and Glacier Peak.

Coming up from the north end of Mount Townsend.

View to the northwest from our lunch spot on Mount Townsend

looking south to the "summit" of Mount Townsend, Mt Rainier in the far distance

pano to the west across Hood Canal and Puget Sound to the Cascade mountains

Pano to the east

We then continued along the loop hiking back down around the top of Mount Townsend enjoying the views and wildflowers.        prairie smoke

phacelia and alpine lupine

Lovely views

wallflowers

such a fabulous day!!!   

some of the wildflowers seen along the trail today:

  

 

 

 

Hurricane Hill and Sunrise Point

We drove up to Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park to do two short hikes: Hurricane Hill (3+ miles rt with 700' gain) and Sunrise Point and the Meadows at Hurricane Ridge (1.4 mile loop with 200' gain).

Heading up to Hurricane Hill, there were more wildflowers in bloom from one week ago, and all the snow on the trail had melted. Lupine along the trail, with views of the Bailey Range.

   

View of our first destination: Hurricane Hill, glacier lilies in the foreground.

View to the west of Mount Angeles and Klahhane Ridge

Larkspur and views

paintbrush and views 

onions and views

pano from part way up  Hurricane Hill looking southwest

daisies near the top of Hurricane Hill

Pano from the top of Hurricane Hill on the left to Mount Angels on the Right

Pano from the top of Hurricane Hill looking south

Lots of prairie smoke and cinquefoil in the meadow on Hurricane Hill

pano looking south from a little more eastward on Hurricane Hill

Deer next to the trail as we start down from Hurricane Hill

We hiked a short ways along the connector trail down to the Elwah Valley and saw this larger buck.

Views as we continued down from Hurricane Hill, we saw a marmot sprawled out on a boulder below us.

zoom of the marmot

some of the wildflowers seen along the Hurricane Hill trail this morning:

  

 

  

 

 

We then drove to the Visitor Center at Hurricane Ridge and made a loop hike, by walking along the parking area to Sunrise Point and returning along through the northern meadow trails.

View to the southwest from the parking area at Hurricane Ridge.

Heading up to Sunrise Point, view to the northwest of Hurricane Hill

pano to the south: Mount Angeles and many Olympic Peaks

view to the southwest

view of Mount Angels to the east

views to the south

Coming back down from Sunrise Point

Pano from the meadow looking north from Hurricane Hill to Mt Angeles and Sunrise Point

We saw some deer in the meadow at Hurricane Ridge on our way back to the car

some of the wildflowers seen on these trails