Completely socked in from the start of Sahale arm to the glacier with very cold winds and a few ice pellet showers. Below Sahale the views were amazing, especially of Doubtful Lake. Saw lots of pika, some ptarmigans, and a bear. The berries are ripe and some of the best I've had this season!

Road up was fine, washboard conditions were manageable, no specially clearance needed.

Left bellingham early and found plenty of parking at 730am (on a weekday). I made it in my ford fiesta hatchback just fine - though the washboarded parts of the road were extremely rumbly for those short segments. There’s a deep pothole right near the end, about a half mile or closer to the parking area. It’s been filled in with some rocks, and with careful maneuvering my car managed fine without any issues or scrapes. If you’re unsure, you can park at a larger pullout before it and walk the last bit (though on weekends this may be tougher as it might be full by the time you arrive). The hike itself was beautiful and very windy. Started socked in but got above the clouds which made for moody views. Distant haze to the east, but it sounded like the smoke blew out overnight based on what some overnighters had said. Fall foliage not quite at peak, but stunning. The trail never disappoints. Bring your hat and gloves!

Currently wind is blowing smoke from all the fires east of this area. It was a blanket of smoke today. This hike has been on my bucket list for years and I got a room at the cool hiker hotel (north cascades inn) to do hikes in this area…so I did it anyway. My eyes are burning and swollen, and I certainly wouldn’t do it if you have asthma or other breathing problems. I could tell this would be a 5/5 hike as the views (would normally) start from the parking lot. The difficulty rating on this hike comes from its length and the last 1/2 mile up a boulder field where there is not much of a path. Would definitely return and do this hike on a clear day. (Maybe if there’s breeze coming from the west, you could go this year)

This is a great day hike with impressive views for not that much effort. You will sweat a bit on some of the inclines, but it is definitely worth it. It's also worth going up above the initial viewpoint to Sahale Arm to get a view of the lake and glaciers. The forest road is not too bad for an SUV, but we did have some less-than-suitable cars slowing everyone down. Highly recommend taking a car that can handle some potholes, but overall, it's not the roughest forest road.

A human conveyor belt up and down, and people parking illegally in spots, making it difficult to get out. Not a single ranger seen all day despite the heavy crowds.