The last time I did this hike was 4 years ago. It still is absolutely as breathtaking as I remember! The leaves are also starting to turn, and the Fall foliage colors are striking!
But oh my goodness ... the forest road to the trailhead is so much worse than it was those 4 years ago. The last time I did this hike with friends, I drove my little 2WD Hyundai Elantra GT. It was not glamorous getting to the trail head, but with patience my car made it just fine. Now, the potholes are SO DEEP. I would not dare attempt to drive this road in my Elantra. Thankfully my hiking partner was driving her high clearance AWD vehicle, which was still a very bumpy ride!
On a Friday morning we arrived at the parking area at 10 a.m. and the car lot wasn't even quite half full. It could be that weekday crowds are dissipating with the start of the school year. The hike starts out gentle with some lovely, shaded forest bathing; then, for the last mile it's much more exposed and lots of rocky, uneven terrain. And of course, the infamous scramble over boulders in order to reach the lookout.
I don't think this hike is terribly strenuous but it's a thigh burner for more novice hikers for sure. We encountered a few dogs, one of which was panting pretty hard and seemed to be having a rough time. We also encountered several poops right in the middle of the trail, which was disappointing (please pick up and pack out, folks!). One note is that there ARE bugs around; they didn't bother me, but they totally were all over my friend.
The good news is that it was a gorgeous, clear day with incredible 360 degree views from the lookout. We could see Mount Baker, Mount Shuksan, Glacier Peak, Mount Rainier, and more, very clearly. While my friend and I were at the lookout, we saw a guy climb up and walk along the ridgeline with sheer cliffs on either side from our vantage point. Seeing him up there was giving me anxiety attacks, but my friend took a couple of pretty insta-worthy pictures of him, which she agreed to send him later when we bumped into each other afterwards. Cheers, Pilchuck Hike Mike!!
As we were descending from the hike in the early evening at around 5 p.m., we encountered several folks who were just starting their ascent and seemed woefully unprepared (no water or trail footwear, or even flash lights or head lamps when it gets dark?). There is a warning sign near the start of the trail that tells people to not attempt the hike unless they are prepared. I guess there are many times when rescue teams need to be sent to fetch folks off the trail.
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