Hiked to Park Butte on a Sunday. Got a flat tire about 4 miles before the trail head. Road is not too rough but be careful - the was enough room to pull over and change to the spare, but it was very difficult to change out on the incline. Be careful when driving up! Hike itself is in great shape. The bridge about a mile into the hike is up (500lbs max weight) avoiding you the stream crossing some mention. There are few snow crossings and they're going fast. Lots of wildflowers. Some mud on trail. Careful with the hot days - there is not much shade and there is a lot of uphill that is completely open and brutal in the heat. We were going up pretty late on Sunday and loads of folks were coming down with backpacking packs and ice axes.

Access: Both Forest Service Roads 12 and 13 are in good condition with no potholes to speak of and minimal washboarding. Trail Conditions: From the trailhead to the junction with Railroad Grade, the Park Butte Trail is in good shape. After the junction, there are some sizeable snow patches to cross, but a clear bootpath traverses them all. The snow patches are neither steep nor exposed, so the only potential hazard is punching through the weakening snow. The final stretch to the lookout tower is a bit steep with loose dust and gravel, but is easily manageable. From Cathedral Camp to Mazama Park, the Bell Pass Trail is free of snow except for one small, easy-to-cross patch. A few sections of the trail are getting a bit brushy from some sun-loving wildflowers. A couple of spots are muddy, but they should dry out with a few days of warm, sunny weather. The shelter at Mazama Park is clean and in great shape as are the campsites there. I did not hike the Scott Paul Trail, so I cannot speak to its condition other than to say the Climbing Rangers were installing the suspension bridge over Rocky II on Sunday. Flora and Fauna: Not much wildlife activity on this busy trail. Saw a fawn and doe on the road to the trailhead, a couple chipmunks in the forest, and a hummingbird. Lots of wildflowers were blooming. Through Schreiber’s Meadow, lupine and pink heather dominate along with a slew of other flowers. The blueberry bushes are starting to get berries, but aren’t anywhere close to being ready to eat. Morivitz Meadow was full of both pink and white heather. Tons of flowers were blooming through the switchbacks down to Mazama Park as well. Views: On this sunny, cloud-free weekend, Mount Baker was out in all its glory. From the lookout tower, the Black Buttes, Twin Sisters, Glacier Peak, and Baker Lake are all within view.

Stream crossing just after elbow lake trailhead had a nice log that someone had flattened and roughed the surface which made crossing easy. Log is 100 m upstream of where trail opens up to stream. No snow until top of Baker pass but lot's of people and tracks. Finding unmarked trail to Rigley Creek near horse camp under Baker Pass difficult. Coming from the pass, the trail is off to the right at a 120 angle around 30 meters before the shelter. Lots of underbrush and soggy meadows. Lost trail a couple times and had to circle around to find it. Rigley Creek was flowing very heavily late in the day. Was able to wade creek alone without backback but almost lost footing waste deep in fast moving water and too dangerous for smaller/lighter companions. Eventually found a log 500 meters up the creek. Scooted across log on butt with feet in the water. Crossing is scary with not many options late in day.

The ranger said that Rocky II, the suspension bridge on the upper Rocky creek that is 2.5 miles from the trailhead going clockwise and 5.5 miles going anti-clockwise, had not yet been put in place (not sure what they are waiting for), so I didn't know if I could get across. On a 50 degree rainy day, the muddy creek, which emanates from the Easton glacier about a mile upstream, wasn't even knee deep, so after four or five refreshing strides in my sandals, I was on my way in my dry toasty socks and boots. I encountered many snow patches, but all were flat and not large enough to lose the tread. The trail meanders over and along dramatic lateral moraines as it takes a generally eastward course. At the east end, I had to search a bit where the trail turns south and leaves the snow and hits the dirt. There is one 6-foot diameter log that you have to crawl under but that's just part of the fun. This trail lacks the constant views of Komo Kulshan that the Park Butte trail offers, but if it's raining or you want to have a trail to yourself, the Scott Paul fits the bill.

Watch the attached video to join us on our hike to Park Butte Fire Tower with Boomers Hiking Club. I include Google Earth maps along with aerial footage from my Quadcopter. To see more of my travel videos, go to the YouTube link below. Enjoy, Paul Akers