Where Curiosity Takes Me: Dirty Face Ridge to Mt Townsend with the ladies

Before the hike

It’s not very often, if ever, that I am able to go hiking in the middle of the week. With a change of schedule I had yesterday off (which just so happens to be a Tuesday) so Jayne, Kristin and I took the opportunity to head up to Mt Townsend. With only a couple weeks left in Washington Jayne wanted to go on a couple more hikes and I was determined to show her the view from up there.

Guard dog family

Leaving Bremerton by 7:30 the weather looked promising, it was already pretty nice out and I couldn’t wait to bring my two friends up on a new hike for them. We got a little turned around with the directions I printed out, even though I’ve been up this way multiple times I wanted it for reference…turns out the coordinates posted for directions through google on the wta page for Dirty Face Ridge were incorrect! It brought us out towards Mt Zion, where we had gone a couple years ago and were familiar with the area. I should have just printed the directions from Tubal Cain since it’s the same exact parking spot! Out towards Zion there is a watershed that’s all fenced in. When we went out there last time we decided it was a secret government spot for experiments…we may have let the barbed wire and warning signs influence our imagination. This time we noticed the watershed signs as well as guard dogs. Those were a new addition! It was a cute little rottweiler family, looks like a mama, papa and 2 pups. They didn’t look very intimidating, but I’m sure if you were to go up to the fence you’d have another story.

Jayne & Kristin at the TH

Now back on our way to the correct trail… At the Tubal Cain TH there were only a few other cars. Knowing that this is the parking spot for a few trails we weren’t sure if we’d see anyone on our hike. Signing in the (falling apart) log it didn’t seem like anyone was checked in, we might have this trail to ourselves after all! I knew this was a steep trail and worried if I’d make it since I wasn’t conditioned for this anymore…I knew Jayne and Kristin would make it since they are in shape! Funny how I used to encourage them to come hiking with me and this time they were literally pushing me up the hill!! Thanks Kristin. Lol

Kristin signing us in

We stepped foot on the trail at 11:20. It took us 2 .5 hours to get to the summit of Mt Townsend. It was slow moving and I take full responsibility for that, I was dyin! Jayne threatened to take one of my hiking poles and poke me whenever I stopped. We only stopped for a long time once we got up on the ridge to have lunch and take in the views. Too bad it was completely foggy and misty and we couldn’t see anything!!! I was bummed, I wanted my friends to see how beautiful it is up there. It was still a lot of tiring fun though. It was also very cold along the ridge, without the trees protecting us we could finally feel the cold air; there were even snow patches along the ridge.

Help! I fell and can't get back up!!

While we were stopped for lunch it started hailing on us, too! From here on out it was much foggier for the rest of the hike. Heading up the mountain it would hail here and there and we could see the fog rolling up over the hills and across the trail. It was still really pretty even without the mountain views. More snow patches, more hail, and never ending fog we continued our hike.

Pretty, fog rolling over the hillsides

During the last stretch straight up to the summit the hail started again but this time it wouldn’t stop! Knowing we wouldn’t be able to see anything from up here we still decided to trek up to the tippy top just to say we made it, have our celebratory wine toast, take a picture to prove it, and get the heck out of there. It was crazy, with all the wind and hail it was hard to see and it hurt when it hit your face! We didn’t see anyone else up there, but for all we know someone could have come up from the other side and we would never been able to see them through the hail and fog.

Almost to the top, fog really coming in

Cold at the summit!

The hike down took an hour less than it did to get up. We stopped at the same spot along the ridge that we did on the way up to have a few more snacks and rest our aching knees from the pounding of going downhill. Continuing down the ridge we ran a good portion of it just to keep up with Kristin…she’s crazy, she even ran up the mountain at times. Back at the cars about 3:30 it took an hour and a half to get down. One car had already left the parking lot and another lady came from Tubal Cain and left while we were loading up the car.

Celebrating that we made it in the hail storm

Even with the crazy weather it was a fun and worthwhile hike. We didn’t see a single person on the trail, completely different from the tons of people that are usually up there. Maybe it’s due to the weather or maybe just because it was a Tuesday. I’m still feeling it in my legs today, but with summer (kind of) here hopefully I get back into my hiking and am able to get out more than I have been lately.

Total milage:

Total time: 4:10