I was inspired to make an account after reading trip reports and hearing people talk about this not being too bad, ~2.5 hours up and 1.5 hours down, etc. If you aren't used to hiking up 3,000 feet don't expect this kind of time. You would want to build up to this kind of hike (I should have done this). It took me about 4 hours to get up and about 2 to get down. I don't have any specialized gear so that could potentially have helped. Maybe having poles would have helped shave off some time and a good number of folks had spikes for their shoes for the snow part. 

I arrived at ~7:30 AM for a solo hike. The parking lot was around half full. The trail starts and is quite moderate until you get to the balcony. But, then it seems to get more steep. For the last 0.5-0.75 miles, expect to be going up at a very steep angle in slippery snowpack.

The views during the walk were quite nice, including nice creeks etc. The views at the top were great as the morning fog had burned off before I got up there. But, I will wait to come back after getting used to doing some less strenuous hikes. 

Still solid snow pack the last .5 mile. Stream crossings are pretty easy at this point. Only peekaboo views at the top today, tried the balcony and the views were about as “good” there. 1:45 up, 1:30 down. 

Road and parking: No issues getting to trailhead. Parking almost full but we found a spot when we got there around 12:30pm (sunny Sunday).

Trail: Very good conditions most of the way. It gets a bit steeper towards the end. Snow covers the trail on the last kilometer (0.6 mile,  ~25min). 

Social distancing: Trail was quite crowded up until Dirty Harry balcony. We only met a couple of groups afterwards.

Water: There is a good stream to fill up water at km 4.7 (see on the map).

Gear used: We both had microspikes. I had poles but my friend didn't. The snow section can be done without anything special but microspikes + poles definitely help.

GPX and pictures

Great day to hike this peak. We started really early and we were one of the first ones to arrive by 5am. Only about 4 other cars in parking lot. Trail is great, well maintained and a few stream crossings past balcony. Not too hard to cross. Plenty of good spots near balcony for views. We stopped for quick pics before proceeding to the peak. Last mile has snow and spikes are recommended. Followed trail marks on snow near the summit. Snow is melting in many areas so be careful as you tread on it and avoid postholing. fantastic views of mt.rainier from peak. 3 hrs to peak, an hour on summit for pics and snacks.. And 2.5 hrs on the way down. Super crowded on the way back. Overall, a great day with gorgeous views! I am coming back again to check out the museum. 

We arrived at the trailhead before 7am and started hiking to the Balcony. Overall this section of the trail was in good condition but beware of the roots and some rocks. Most of the crowd stopped at the Balcony so it was fairly busy at that little area. After the Balcony we decided to head up to the Peak. This section of the trail was rocky and steep. There was a rather difficult stream crossing which I attached a photo. About 1 mile before the peak, the trail was covered in snow. 1 out of 3 of us used microspikes but he said it didn't make much difference because the snow was mushy. On the way up we followed the foot steps which was fine and there were few sketchy patches around some trees. We had a great view of the valley below and Mount Rainier. The path leading to that view was very sketchy so please only do it if you feel comfortable. Poles would be helpful going down the snowfield. On the way down, my friend went in to check out the museum. If you are interested, watch for the cairns close to the difficult stream for the entrance, which we missed on the way up. Overall, a harder hike because of the steep, snowfield crossing and rooty trail.