The Park Butte trail is 100% logged out, and work was progressing on the Scott Paul trail on Tuesday. The bridge over Rocky creek is not in place, nor will it be put in this year, basically a permanent state of affairs. The creek has moved it's channel a year or two ago, so the bridge would no longer span the creek anyway. Don't expect any bridge over Rocky creek for several years, perhaps never, according to two Forest Service workers. The crossing is super-easy, however, barely even qualifying as a rock-hop. Keep in mind, however, that I crossed at 11 am going in, and 8:30 pm going out, so I didn't get the full rush of snow melt from the glaciers above. The ""culvert replacement"" listed for FS 13 on the FS website (causing delays of 30 minutes to two hours) is all done, no delays at all. The trail is in good shape, a bit rocky in places, with some snow in the last 1/2 mile before the lookout, nothing that a decent pair of boots won't handle. I saw people making it to the lookout in sneakers, and their feet looked pretty dry. There were some nice views of Pocket lake and all the cool rock formations along the trail, but no views at all at the lookout. It was 100% fogged in the entire time I was there, from 3:30 to 7 pm. Still a pretty cool place to hang out and read one of the books on the bookshelf.

Road to trailhead was clear and passable. An area marked as problematic was not. Machinery was cutting brush along the road. The trail was clear, and blowdowns had been cut. Trail maintenance equipment was in evidence, and it sounded as if someone was using a chain saw on the parallel Scott Paul Trail. The stream crossing was no more difficult than last year, which means that agile stone stepping is all that is required. Slushy snow starts at the far end of Morovitz Meadows. An evident boot beaten path across snow fields leads to the lookout. On this day, the Meadows were sunny, and the views of Mt. Baker good. The branch trail to the lookout led into a cloudbank that never entirely cleared. Visibility at the lookout stubbornly remained no more than a few hundred feet. Cool temperatures meant that bugs were minimal.

A mild day to show out of town guests a lot of scenery and what our hiking can be like. No problems (a few blow downs easy to work around) on the Park Butte trail until the flooding damage became evident - a lower section of trail borrowed by a creek that appears to have helped the river above overflow. Unsettled rocks and missing trail grade made us watch our feet. One drainage looks like some firs may have died from flooding (?) Wilted but still pale green branches. Then we got to the missing bridge - those who have a long stride, like rock hopping, or are comfortable trying uncertain logs will enjoy the challenge. I'm less sure footed and employed river sandals and hiking sticks to ford fast currents where silted water obscured the rocks below. Once across the switchbacks were snowfree, lower Moravitz meadows amazing and Baker seeming close enough to touch. Snow at the railroad grade turnoff had been soft with a little bit of punching-through. But the trail continuing to the lookout was visibly snowcovered- just a few inches so maybe a week or two away if you want a clear trail, which we did. We backtracked to the rock staircase to railroad grade and toward high camp. Stunning! And snow free. Crossing at the missing bridge going back was even trickier with the afternoon's higher water. Great experience for our family guests, good for us but drives home the extent of flood damage from this past winter even on trails where access is intact. Not bothered by bugs!!

Another glorious fall hike from a dramatic overlook of Mt. Baker on the East, Twin Sisters to the West, and numerous peaks in every other direction. The gravel road that winds up about 9 miles from the Baker Lake road is in excellant condition. There is ample parking (for 50 or more cars) at the trailhead. This is not a solitude hike. I passed 20 parties or so, some climbers, some going to the railroad grade spur, and about half headed for the lookout. The first mile is a lovely almost-level trail meandering through a lightly forested meadow, a sea of red blueberry bushes, and plenty of blueberries and huckelberries still offering their bounty. Next a well-groomed switchback through older woods, gaining 1000 ft in a mile. the trail is in excellant condition. ""Part III"" is a wonderful meadow basin, with spectacular views to the Easton Glacier, and red fall colors everywhere. The final stage, ascending to a ridge, and following it steeply to the lookout at park butte with views gallore in every direction. There are patches of ice along the trail, so watch your footing in a few places.

Road snow-free to within 1/4 mi. of trailhead. Trail completely under snow. A notice says, ""Rocky Creek bridge"" is out. I'm not sure which crossing this refers to (Trail 603 or 603.1?). No bridge necessary on the lower crossing (Trail #603), a nice triple-log crossing just upstream from presumed bridge location. Also an adzed log crossing downstream from this but hard to reach due to snow. If the missing bridge is upstream at the Scott Paul Trail #603.1 crossing, we didn't go there. White-out conditions. Map & compass all the way to the lookout. Snow excellent, firm, no post-holing. Typical Cascade summit view. This trailhead is likely to be a zoo. Main access to south routes on Baker. There was a mountaineering class of over a dozen cars, perhaps 30-40(!) people, going up the Railroad Grade to the Easton Glacier. Also a snowmobile trail, unless I'm mistaken. We were spared.