Arrived at TH around 10 am on a Monday and there were only a handful of cars already parked on the side of the road. We took 4 hours to reach the peak including our several breaks (about every half-mile) and 4 hours down because we stopped to pick lots of berries. There were plentiful huckleberries in the first half of the hike as well as salmonberries sprinkled in. Bugs were only an issue for me at the TH. The trail is snow free but there are patches of snow that can be crossed if needed.
The road up was pretty rough but we made it up in a sedan with minor scratches. Please take a high clearance car up! We almost got stuck in the large rut mentioned by a previous review.
The sun was already out when we began but there was plenty of shade at the start of the trail. There are few river crossings that are perfectly doable and only require average balancing skills. The trail is pretty straightforward at the start until you exit the trees and begin traveling across large rocks. We followed the cairns that went diagonally to the left that led to a steep valley which I will attach a picture of below. Yes, you will be hiking up that valley via steep switchbacks and gain a large portion of elevation.
At the top of the valley, you can finally see Vesper Peak but do not be deceived, it took about another hour and a half to reach the peak. Here, there were a couple of small rivers that were great for restocking our water supply. The last half mile or so will purely be scrambling up rock. Again, we used the cairns for guidance which was overall incredibly helpful throughout the trip.
Overall, it was an intense yet rewarding day hike, however, we passed a few people who pitched up camp at the bottom of the peak. I imagine that an overnight trip here would also be amazing.
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