First time on this trail. It was a great workout and had some charms, but I don’t feel compelled to go back again anytime soon. I first hit intermittent snow about 3 miles up trail. Snow steadily got deeper as I ascended, topping out around 6-8 inches at the top. Views were limited from the top, although I could see Mt. Baker off in the distance. On the way down I visited the “museum.” Really interesting to see the old logging truck and ponder how different things must have been to drive such a massive truck up there. I also hit the balcony on the way down for views of McClellans Butte, Mt. Washington, and the I90 corridor.

Parking lot full to overflow at 9:30a.  Lots of folks using the lot as a place to park and spend the day in the river.  Lower trail is fully dry and in good condition. Rocky and rough in places.  Moderate traffic on the lower trail with perhaps a dozen parties encountered on the way up and 5 or so on the way down after 5p. 

Trail above the second creek (Dirty Harry's Museum) is heavily overgrown with vegetation.  Could be easily followed however.  Lots of ripe native black berries and salmon berries. 1st and 2nd creeks had flowing water. 

Encountered only two hikers on the upper trail to the peak. There is view over the backside of the peak down a near vertical face to a small lake.  Not much else to remark on.  The rating is of the hike seems correct to me.    

Path to the peak is overgrown in several places, sometimes may seem like you've lost the trail. Things get very steep beyond the Balcony. Not the most picturesque climb, though sadly I never did make it to the top of the Peak due to the aggressive bugs (guessing wasps and hornets) attacking me.

Didn't get stung but felt a few bites maybe. Grateful for two sweet gals with a cute fur buddy along the steep climb upwards, who shared some bug spray ... while they weren't as accosted, I had to rush back down the path & settle for the views around the Balcony - retreated around 12pm.

Dirty Harry's Peak is always one of the first Cascade hikes of the summer for me. It's become an annual tradition to kick off the hiking season. The trail is still in great shape, though brushy in spots near the Peak. Snow is long gone. The creek crossing shortly after the Balcony was the lowest I've ever seen it. Wildflowers are mostly over between the trailhead and the Balcony, but there's a lot more in bloom approaching the Peak. I spotted foxglove, paintbrush, lupine, beargrass, and others. Lots of bird activity this time, including some active woodpeckers. Wonderful views from the top: Snowy peaks to the north, a cloud-covered Mt. Rainier to the south, and the Seattle skyline faintly visible to the west. Below, a long construction-related traffic jam snaked for miles on I-90 East. Lots of folks on the trail to the Balcony, but we only encountered one other hiker between the Balcony and the Peak. If you can, go on a weekday afternoon and you'll likely have the summit to yourself.

Hi, We're the Mountain Goats (Terrence) with a special guest Evan, and today we climbed Dirty Harry's Peak. We originally wanted to do Lillian Lake but due to the god-awful traffic heading East on I-90, we decided to get off at Exit 42 and do Dirty Harry's Peak. 

By the time we got to the trailhead around 11:30 AM, it was already starting to drizzle. This trail doesn't pull any punches; after crossing the South Fork of the Snoqualmie you began the unrelenting ascent. After about a mile the trail begins to skirt around cliffs with mini trails going off to various rock-climbing walls. This part of the trail is quite rocky and a bit tricky to navigate on the descent. 

The trail then goes through a series of steep switchbacks before flattening out as you head NE traversing the lower slopes of Dirty Harry. We were greeted with brief breaks in the fog allowing us to gaze upon the valley below and the traffic going East on I-90. 

The trail then heads back into the forest before turning NW and beginning another steep ascent. 3.5 Miles in and at about 3,100 feet you'll cross a creek. This is the one and only spot to pump clean moving water so use it if needed. After crossing the creek, the trail begins to get a bit overgrown, this was quite annoying due to the copious amount of water on the foliage. Luckily this part only lasted for about a quarter of a mile.  
The final mile up to the summit is an ass-kicker as you gain 1000' vertical feet in a little over a mile. The true summit is a bit tricky to find as it is not directly on the trail. Unfortunately, there weren't any views, but it always feels good to summit a mountain. 

Overall, this is a great training hike for those who don't want to deal with herds of people who head up Mount SI and Mailbox. Words of Wisdom from Evan: Thank mother nature and father time for now we begin to climb. Happy Hiking!

Final Stats: 8.2 Miles - 3,300' Elevation Gained - 5:15 Car to Car