Mount Pilchuck - Winter — Friday, May. 22, 2020

I reached the trailhead at 9:55 this morning.  There were two other vehicles parked just before the closed trailhead parking lot.  The access road is as bad as a previous report stated.  It really sucks.  I drive a Toyota Tacoma and it was still a rough ride.  Lots of deep potholes with water.

It was raining when I started so I already put on rainpants and jacket along with gaiters.  I'd say one half of the trail is snow covered.  I never put on spike going up, but I did coming down.  I came upon a young couple coming down.  They didn't make it.  They said the trail was hard to find, because no one had been up that morning....they also didn't have proper clothing and gear.  I reached where they stopped and could barely see a continuing trail.  I followed that.  Three young guys appeared on the trail in front of me right before I reached the lookout.  They told me they left the trailhead at 10 pm last night and headlamped in to spend the night in the lookout.  They would be the owners of the 2nd vehicle.  5 minutes later I was at the lookout at 11:37 am.

Unfortunately someone broke in.  They broke the wood shudder that covered the door.  It was a fresh break....I smelled it.  Nice fresh wood smell.  I believe it may have been the three guys I saw.  They would have showed up around midnight to a shuddered and closed lookout.  They'd planned to spend the night....lets break in.  Unfortunately whoever did this your damage will now need to be repaired by others.  It's never easy packing in wood and tools. I only stayed 15 minutes.

I reached my car at 1:30 pm.  Coming down I saw 10 people heading up and another 3 in the parking lot.  There was no view to be had.  It was cloudy and snowing ligbtly at the lookout.  It was a great hike.