Mt. Townsend north and south summits, and Windy Pass, Olympic Mountains

 

Mt. Townsend is one of the most popular high elevation day hikes in the eastern Olympics. Both the north and south summits are at just over 6,200 ft. There are multiple routes to take to the summits; the upper Mt. Townsend trailhead is the most popular, the Dirty Face trailhead is the hardest, and the Silver Lake way trail is the longest. One of my favorite stops in the east Olympics is Windy Pass and the panorama view of the deep Silver Creek Valley, accessible by branch trail about a mile from the Mt. Townsend summit or along the route from Silver Lake.