There's a great payoff at the end of this hike! Some proper preparation will make it soooo much better. Here are my notes:
1. Bring sunscreen (and probably a hat and/or sunglasses)! I would say that in the late morning/early afternoon, the sun is straight overhead and pretty intense, and about 85% of the time the trail is exposed. There are occasional shady spots which became great points to take a quick water break. Also, I would totally recommend some headwear/eyewear. I wore my baseball cap which definitely help, but if I were to do it over again I would have also brought my sunglasses because of the intense glare upon reaching the snowy part. Which brings me to my next point ...
2. There's snow! Bring trekking poles (and appropriate footwear)! Unless you want to become a human sled, I would definitely recommend trekking poles which help a ton especially for the very last 0.3 miles of the hike, in which the trail is covered in snow. The snow is pretty slushy and slippery. I saw a few folks who had made it to the viewpoint and back without trekking poles, but I personally wouldn't have even attempted it. Some folks were debating whether it was worth it to even keep going that last 0.3 miles, but it's definitely worth it for the unobstructed view of Mount Baker at the end. Poles are definitely helpful for the steep descent on the way back.
3. Bring bug spray! The flies, bees and mosquitoes are out in droves and they are *aggressive.* I was constantly trying to swat them away from my head (or walk briskly away to escape). It is a bit of a drag trying to enjoy the view at the end with the constant buzzing around you.
4. Arrive early if you can (ideally before 11 a.m.) When my partner and I arrived at the quasi-trailhead area, parking on the side of the forest road closest to the trailhead was basically full. I estimate that about 15 cars could fit. When we left, there were several cars who had to park at even lower areas on the side of the road, not ideal because it's pretty narrow. There's really not much room for a turnout :(
5. Because there is still some snow blocking off the end of the road to the trailhead, plan on adding about 0.3 miles of walking each way to this hike.
6. I thought it would be colder because of the elevation, but with the hot summer sun and lack of shade, it was actually pretty hot at parts (especially midday), so hiking in shorts is not a bad idea.
7. The "cute" A-frame pit toilet in this hike description isn't being maintained or cleaned, and there is a sign that says they do not recommend using it. There were bees flying around it too. If you need to go, there's also not a whole lot of cover, so you'll have to be creative lol.
Overall, this is a great summer hike with some of the added "adventure" described above. Bonus is that there's some fun wildlife to see too. At the summit viewpoint you could see a bald eagle flying by, and there was also a marmot sneaking around. Enjoy!
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