A couple of friends and I decided to take off from work a little early and do an early evening hike up Mailbox Peak. It has been about a year since I've done this hike, but from going to the top and back of Mailbox Peak I'm reminded of a few things: 1) It is one rough trail (lots of roots, rocks, etc.) 2) It is incredibly steep ( a guy on top said his altimeter had a reading of 3,900 feet elevation gain) 3) I need to get in better shape so I'm not so sore the next day from doing this hike. While the trail is very rough there is still a clear path to the top. Someone has marked periodically in places the trail with orange tape that you can follow. Views from the top are awesome and well worth the sludge up. It is also amazing how many objects are on top, from assorted mailboxes, a fire hydrant and now a ladder. I seriously have respect for anyone who hauls any item up this trail! No snow on the trail what so ever, though there were a few bugs out biting. Make sure you bring plenty of water as the only source is a creek at the beginning. My party took 2 hours and 15 minutes up and 1 hour and 30 minutes coming down. I would definitely recommend this hike but just know what you are getting into.

We pulled into the parking lot that sits on the west side of the road, just passed where Dorothy Road and Middle Fork reconnect when you're coming from the South. Crossed the road and walked around the high gate noting that someone was offering a reward for a camera and one trekking pole. Up the road and just before the creek we hung a left and started to hike the trail as it meandered next to a pretty little creek. In no time at all we started going up. We encountered two forks in the trail and each time we took the high route. After the second fork someone marked the trail with hot pink flagging material and it was a breeze to follow the markings up to the talus field. After taking a left and using the trail around the talus field we started to run into bugs. Small biting bugs and even horseflies were at the peak, one horsefly took a nice chunk out of Kyle's arm. Bring your bug spray! At the peak were: two mailboxes, one ladder, one rope, one fire hydrant and miscellaneous paraphernalia. Ran into some mud at the beginning of the trail and on the trail near the rocks, other than that the trail was clear and steep! It was a picture perfect day. The views of Rainier, Glacier Peak and more from the peak were well worth the climb. Took us about 2:30 up and 1:45 down. We saw no one on the trail. Be prepared for sore quads the next day. A Big Thank You to the person who flagged the trail! CJ

A beautiful day with a hint of a breeze. Trail was mostly dry but very muddy in spots. There was a moderate number of flies & (I think) mosquitoes at the top; they didn't annoy us much (was it the DEET?), but some other hikers today thought they were awful. In any case, if the bugs are bad at the summit, there is a fine bug-free spot for lunch shortly below. Poles and power-assisted boots strongly recommended.

Up early: at the trailhead at 7:30: for some reason couldn't get out of 1st gear and crawled up the first mile to the flat area (the only one on the ascent) some water and a power bar later I felt ready to continue. There's just one way to tackle this peak - head down and just keep putting one foot in front of another. Just when I thought I'd go crazy from the lack of a view the trees opened out and there was I-90 below my feet: another 40 minutes of mixed huckleberries, bear grass and forest gets you to the peak. The Mailbox is in place -- along with a ladder(?). A quick snack and it is time to descent: which is even more fun than the ascent - at least I thought so -- a few of the wet roots at the top had me slipping and sliding. Not exactly a ""great"" hike but if you want to feel you calves burn you can't beat Mailbox. The trail varied from dry and dusty to wet and slippery -- there was mud in places. Treking poles are great (and almost essential on this hike) but I noticed a few places were they appeared to be contributing to the erosion on either side of the trail.