What a spectacular day to summit Mt. Pilchuck! This was my first time up there and the views were amazing.
Firstly, the road has been redone and is pretty smooth most of the way. A bit of washboarding but most cars would be just fine. We left seattle at 8:45 and arrived at the parking lot at 10:15am. Most of the spots were taken given it was a holiday weekend. It took us 2 hrs to get to the top and we took a few breaks along the way. It took us 1 hr 43 min to get back down to the parking lot. Highly recommend getting to the trailhead before 9am (crowds, heat etc.). There is a privy at the trailhead but not many spots along the trail to do your business so plan accordingly.
I would say this should not be named a moderate hike - it is HARD. The steep incline and navigating rocky terrain makes it challenging. I would recommend hiking boots with ankle support. I saw some people hiking in jeans and sandals... felt bad for them. Poles were helpful with the steep incline too.
The trail is well maintained. The forest portion has great tree cover and is pretty mellow overall. There are a series of steps you go up. However, most of the hike is exposed and rocky which made it particularly challenging. There were also a lot of groups of kids. The way down is a bit easier but still just as rocky - you need to watch your footing because your legs are tired out.
The lookout is awesome but given the amount of people up there at one time - it can get crowded. There is some scrambling you have to do near the top, so take it slow. Overall, it was a great hike on a great (mostly clear) day! We could see Mt. Rainier (hazy), Mt. Baker (clear) and the Olympics!
I also saw 2 men with handguns which was disturbing.I had never seen that on trail before. No animal sightings because there were so many people.
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