Couple of newer developments to be aware of:
1. The new trail has had all the blowdowns cleared from it. Some fresh chainsaw work it looks like (thank you!).
2. Accessing the mailbox is currently... unpleasant. I'm not sure if someone left some food in there or what, but there are SWARMS of flying ants or flying termites or something on top of and around the mailbox. I'm talking hundreds if not thousands. They don't bite, but they seem to be drawn to sweaty hikers. They were getting in my ears, eyes, and mouth as soon as I summited. Bring a buff so you can cover up a bit. See my photos below. Walk out on the ridge a bit to get away from most of them if you plan on hanging out.
Old trail up, new trail down. Tuesday hike. Perfect weather (60-ish degrees) and not a cloud in the sky. Arrived at 7:30am and I was the first car in the upper lot, with maybe 10 cars in the lower. I encountered only a few hikers on the way up, and maybe a dozen on the way down. I recommend poles, binoculars, bug and sun protection, at least 3L of water, and STRONG QUADS! Start early to avoid the heat.
The old trail is steep! Be cautious with your footing. I would not recommend going down the old trail due to loose rocks and very large steps. The new trail is beautiful and has a much steadier gradient. Both trails are easy to navigate, I had no issues with pathfinding.
Total trip time just under 5hrs. Took me 2hr 15m to go up the old trail and just over 2hr to come down the new trail. Ate lunch at the top for ~30m.
I deposited a Seattle Panda Fest pin, and withdrew a small heron ink print.
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