Sequim hikers reach Mount Townsend’s peak four times in four days

Published 5:30 am Wednesday, June 24, 2026

By Gary Huff

For the Sequim Gazette

Two Sequim men with The Monday Ramblers, an Olympic Peninsula hiking group, accomplished a new group challenge called the Mount Townsend Grand Slam.

Their mission: hike Mount Townsend four consecutive days from four different trailheads with a total of 35 miles and an 11,680-foot elevation gain.

Steve See, 73, and Peter Alexander, a few years younger, both members of the Monday Ramblers, completed the challenge climbing the mountain starting on June 1 and going through June 4 for the Grand Slam.

According to hikers, Mount Townsend is one of the most beautiful hikes in the Olympic Mountains. It’s located in the Quilcene Range with a one-mile-long ridge running north to south with a peak on each end. Its south peak is the highest at 6,280 feet while the north peak is 50 feet lower.

To climb Mt. Townsend, there are four trailheads to choose from, each coming from a different direction up the mountain. From the southeast is the Townsend Creek trailhead (10-mile hike with 3,455 feet elevation gain), while southwest is the Silver Lake Way trailhead (10.1 miles, 2,980 feet gain). The northeast side features the Little Quilcene trailhead (7.3 mile hike, 2,450 feet gain), and the northwest side has the Dirty Face Ridge trailhead (7.6 miles, 2,800 feet gain).

Group members said hikes to the peaks are considered difficult because of the steep grades in some sections of the trail, but are worth the effort.

Views include a broad sweep of the Olympic Mountains, Buckhorn Wilderness, and Mounts Rainier, Adams, and St. Helens, as well as the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Hikers say even downtown Seattle can be seen on a clear day.

See said the commutes to each trailhead on pothole-filled roads proved almost as difficult as the hikes taking three hours each day for the drives.

For more about The Monday Ramblers, visit mondayramblers.bravesites.com.