Had an amazing time hiking this trail for the first time. This was my first time back on the trails after a few years of minimal physical activity following Achilles surgery, and it was the perfect balance of challenge, reward, and easing my leg back into hiking. So if you're like me and you're looking for something relatively short with safe trail conditions, but more challenging than Rattlesnake Ledge, this could be a good option for you.
Hiked on a Tuesday around midday, so only ran into 7 individuals/small groups during the whole hike. Even had the beautiful summit view to myself for about a half-hour! Trail conditions were great - only a few marshy patches from the rains last week and no fallen trees blocking the trail (other than one that makes a nice archway leading into the final half-mile).
Bugs left me alone for the most part. Ran into some large flies (horseflies?) where the switchbacks first level off and then what looked like flying ants at the summit, but all of these insects mostly left me alone. Don't be alarmed if you hear gunshots - there must be an unmarked shooting range near the bottom of the mountain (I drove by it with my windows rolled down and could clearly hear gunfire). It wasn't that loud and I don't mind guns, it was just so close to perfect at the summit that it was a minor bummer to have the peace interrupted by gunfire.
Road conditions are much improved. On my way up, I happened to be following the bulldozer/tractor that was regrading the dirt road. Aside from a few rocky patches near the top and some speed-bump-sized potholes, the majority of the dirt road is in better shape than many Seattle streets. I had no problems in my Subaru Forester, but I would still recommend caution and slow speeds if you're going to attempt this in the Mercedes C Class or Prius I saw in previous trail reports.
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