I caught the 7:35am Seattle-Bremerton ferry and reached the trailhead at 10:10am. Snow began on the road ~3 miles from the trailhead, and by the time I reached the lower Ellinor trailhead the road was fully compact snow and ice which continued until the Washington trailhead. Because temperatures remained cool the entire day yesterday the road was just as snowy and icy on the descent. I had no trouble in an AWD car with snow tires but saw some vehicles stuck on the way down. There were a dozen or so cars at the lower Ellinor trailhead on the way up and probably three times that at 2:45 pm on the way down. There were a half dozen cars at the Washington trailhead both when I began and finished my hike.
I've climbed Washington a few times and each time I've encountered hikers who mistakenly believed continuing past the gate down the old forest service road is the standard route to the summit. Instead, look for a Boulder hidden in the bushes southwest of the parking lot. Once past the boulder the trail's beginning is clear.
Snow covers 95% of the route from the trailhead to the summit. This only compounds Washington's primary two challenges: route-finding and not slipping on the many roots and rocks. I would strongly recommend having a GPS track and poles that can be easily stowed when you need to use your hands. I carried but did not use microspikes as the snow was still soft and the icy sections were not long enough to justify their use.
Once you reach the gully above the scree field you're better served to cut left and gain and ascend the slope south of the gully. The trail naturally pushes you into the gully and from what I've heard it's doable but unpleasant.
You get your first view of the interior Olympics at a col south of Washington's summit. From there a trail follows the ridge towards the summit block. Once at the block you'll want to cut right on an exposed traverse (pic #2 below) rather than cutting left on an old goat trail. I've seen people take the game trail the last two times I've climbed Washington and while all parties summitted, there was agreement the standard route is safer and more enjoyable.
After cutting rightward you gain a ledge which leads to a broad chute below the summit. I've read some reports where people have continued on the ledge past the chute until the ledge reaches the ridge between Washington and Washington's nose. That route works but is very exposed and would be dangerous when wet or covered in snow. To avoid that, follow the chute up to a short hand-over-hand scramble to the top. The scramble's rock is solid and the exposure is minimal.
There is a summit register at the top with climber's logs dating back to 2016, though the latest log has been full for over a month. On this clear day most of the major Olympic summits were visible to the naked eye, as well as Baker, Shuksan, Glacier and Rainier. Downtown Seattle's skyline glowed in the afternoon sun. With binoculars you could see the Hood Canal Bridge, the Narrows Bridge and Downtown Tacoma.
Climbing Washington offers great bang for your buck without the crowds that beset Ellinor. But come prepared for a challenging scramble, particularly if there's snow on the ground.
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