Independence Ridge — Sunday, Jul. 20, 2025

The trail is in good (and improving) condition after a work crew got to work on the Independence Ridge trail. We hiked about 1.9 miles total from the parking lot and worked in various crews along the route. Debrushing a bunch near the end of our work area, and fixed the tread and benching of certain areas that were very narrow and loose. Overall, things are much more enjoyable along the route. A few mosquitoes and flies were out, and we found a bee nest, which wasn't good for a couple of people. Minor stings that didn't last long on the annoyance scale. The views of Mt. Adams and Rainier were fantastic, even with the overcast conditions. It has been dry out, so the trail is dusty when going with groups.