As a fairly amateur hiker, this was the toughest Washington hike I've attempted so far but worth it.
For those who rely on google maps or the like, I'd recommend navigating to the "Cougar Flat Campground," and as you approach the campground from the east, you'll encounter a parking lot on your right (north side of road). It doesn't have any obvious markings that this is the trailhead excepting an empty trail post (someone seems to have absconded with the trail map...?).
The trail was beautiful the whole way up and there was nice variety to it -- sometimes wooded, sometimes out in the open, sometimes some gravel, etc. At times, the trail was a bit washed away, so required careful steps -- I didn't use poles but most people I came across did. The snow patch that another hiker reported is essentially gone at this point, and you can simply bypass it by walking to one side of the trail, so I think it's fair to call this trail "snow free" by now. I channeled my inner whiny baby during some of the switchbacks. There were several nice folks at the very top but, for those concerned, there's plenty of space to spread out and admire the 360 view of the area.
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