There isn't much I can add to what has already been said about this hike except that it took much longer to arrive at the trail head from Seattle than I thought it would. We got stuck behind an rv club of about 25 vehicles on the N Cascades Highway. The parking lot was full at 10:30 so we crossed the highway and parked at another trail head. I've read about hikes being busy before but this hike took it to a new level. I've never seen so many people on a hike before. If you seek solitude this is not the hike for you. I was forced to listen to stories of husbands being laid off, vacation horrors, divorces, etc. There was also a helicopter taking water from one of the lakes to douse a small fire close to the trail. Oh, did I mention barking dogs and yelling kids? Definitely hike this in a counter clockwise direction as it is a much easier grade going up. The trail has been mashed into a fine powder that gets stirred up with every step. It's a beautiful hike but with the traffic there and back from Seatle along with all of the noise and people I don't think I will be back. There are hikes closer to Seattle that offer scenery that rivals what can be found here.

Working retail is a good thing some days - particularly the ones where you have to work on the weekend but you get glorious, sunny days like this one to enjoy this 7 mile loop with absolutely no other company. The only drawback to this hike as a day hike is that it is a solid 3 hour drive from my house in south King Co. Was it worth it? Absolutely!!! Read the hike description for a perfect blow-by-blow. What I can add is that the fall colors are really coming on strong now with the larch in full color or at most partially green still so they have a bit of time before they are past their prime. The huckleberries are all gone but the blazing red foliage remains as a fabulous accent to the green heathers, the stark white granite, and the drying brown stalks of the spent wildflower gardens (that must be glorious in the summer months!)

The larches are turning, the meadows are orange and red. No time like now to hike this gorgeous loop. Just be aware that many people have the same idea, and the trail is quite dusty.

A sun filled day. The hiking was excellent. I went with my new hiking partner and we had a blast. Pretty much the comment of the day was "You take another step and view just get better!". Not just by us but by most everyone we met on the trail. Flaming heather matched the season. The trail was in excellent shape. Get up there before the rains come and take in some of the best scenery Washington has to offer. Bring water or be prepared to add a trip to one of the lakes to get some. The water at the trailhead was shut off possibly due to the cold nights that are starting in the area. No bugs, just eye popping vistas.

I took my eight year old son with me on this dayhike and he did just fine, much to my surprise. His longest hike before this was 5 miles with less elevation change overall. We started a little after 10am and decided to go counterclockwise. The parking area was already quite full by then. The weather was spectacular; atop Maple Pass you could see Glacier Peak in the distance but was hazy due to smoke. The trail is in great condition but is very dusty. Saw plenty of people hiking this today and several groups brought their dogs and one couple even had their infant in a sling. The parking area was more full by the time we got back down at 2pm.