Mount Storm King...finally, after all these decades, always on the bucket list but never hiked...until today. Definitely worth the effort, but...

- I must echo a previous comment:  Mount Storm King, to the "Instagram Summit," is serious business.  Two thousand feet in two miles, including a couple Class 3 scrambles (although aided by ropes), should not be taken lightly.  This hike attracts folks from all over the U.S. and, my impression of today's group, some were experiencing 2K feet elevation gain and scrambling for the first time.  A couple of them wisely took the scrambles very slowly, both ascending and descending.  Seriously, don't bite off more than you can chew.  

- The Instagram Summit isn't the actual Mount Storm King summit, but it is even more dazzling than anything captured in iPhone photos.  The actual summit is another 1.8 miles east...and I hiked about .3 miles of that before turning around because (1) the route was steep with more Class 3 scrambling (and no ropes), and (2) based on the number of cobwebs I cleared, no one else was on the east stretch of the trail today.  This may be worth doing some day, but with a hiking buddy and a Garmin inReach.

- The post-Storm King side trip to Marymere Falls is very worthwhile.  Lovely spot, although the lower part of the loop trail is quite narrow.

Arrived at the trailhead around 830am and there were still a few spots left. The trail from the parking lot starts out nice and flat before becoming a steep hike through lots of switchbacks. The ropes portion at the end is scary but definitely doable for most people. There were lots of people going up and down at the same time so it requires some coordination to make sure everyone can do it safely. The rock at the very top was also scary for me, but people were helpful in taking turns to make sure it was safe. It got crowded at the top by the time we were ready to head down. Yellow Jackets were prominent throughout the hike but we're especially bad at the top. Also a reminder to please not feed the birds. Overall a fun and challenging hike.

// PLEASE BE SAFE AND PREPARED. Met so many people today that were ill-prepared for the trail and the weather. At the least, plan your hike, download a map of where you're going and check the weather. Although I encourage you to get outdoors, also know your limits. //

Went on Saturday morning at 8am. ~2mi to the summit, quick pace and it took me about 50 minutes to get there. Coming down was just a bit faster at 40 minutes but had to stop many times and either wait for people or let people through, the crowds were getting larger.

Trail condition: 2/5 Wet for the most part with lots of loose dirt and slippery rocks. Going up, I opted to not use the ropes because the ground was relatively stable. As the morning progressed, it got a little more wet, and coming down I had to use them as an assist. Tip for those who've never used a rope, face the mountain coming down (backwards), it'll be easier. One minor blowdown that's easy to go under. No bugs, but tons of birds at the lookout spot. Don't feed them! Sun came out with a rainbow just as I summitted, otherwise it was rainy.

Trail difficulty: 2/5 Easy most of the way. I was prepared to be scrambling at the rope section but ended up not even using them. To be honest, the hardest part for me were the switchbacks at the very beginning.

Navigation: 5/5 Easy to follow the trail without map. After 0.5 miles, there is a sign to turn left on the Storm King Trail.

Parking: 4/5 Parking lot is large and there was ample space for everyone. I don't know if it is enough during peak times, but you could park elsewhere, and it would add a little mileage to the loop. Road is paved in all the way, no problem for any car.

Features: 3/5 The forest walk was very nice up until I caught up to other people. Good elevation gain in a short distance and got lucky with the view today. The ropes are interesting and make this hike accessible to more people. Could see Lake Crescent very well and you had great views of everything else. Lots of different singing birds around. The groups at the top didn't stay long and I was fortunate to have it to myself for about 20 minutes. Coming down, the clouds rolled in, and the view was gone.

Family friendly: 2/5 Family friendly to an extent. I think the trail itself can be done by grown children (I've seen a few going up on my way down), but there is lots of loose soil and they need to be supervised. I would not recommend at all when the weather is wet like today, the rocks and ground are very slippery.

Overall: 4/5 I don't like to do popular hikes due to the amount of people on them. I waited to do this one when the weather was going to be like today. I hoped for less people, some low clouds over the surrounding mountains, and that's almost what I got. Sun shined through to a clear view of the lake, with a rainbow to top it off. Timing was perfect, and the weather was cool. Very glad to have done it but probably wouldn't return.

This is a burner! Get ready to work. The trail is a steady climb. The final section has ropes in good condition. It’s a bit of effort but worth it! Don’t quit till you make it to the top!! There are communal gloves at the bottom of the ropes- use them! It will be especially helpful coming down to avoid burning your hands on the rope. But be a careful if you have a latex allergy. Some gloves are nitrile, so read the tags. Once you pass the ropes, there is a short scramble to the lookout. Just incredible! The bees were out and my friend got stung- being your EpiPen if needed. The mosquitos were also very bad, so wear bug spray. 

Trail was dry and dusty with loose gravel. Any frayed ropes have been replaced and are in reasonable condition, though one of the root anchors had come free from the hillside, making one long roped section a little tricky for anything other than needing the ropes for balance.