I can't believe it's been a decade since I've done this hike. Way overdue!
Executive summary:
***Rough road. Ample parking. Steep grade with loose scree and dirt in places. Recommend trekking poles. No bugs. Awesome views. No other hikers.****
The 11.5 miles from the Goat Creek Snow Park to the trailhead is passable. There are some rough sections where you will need to slow down and higher clearance is a plus. We arrived at the trailhead at 11:30 and the only cars in the lot were two forest service pickups, one with a horse trailer.
I would divide the hike into thirds. First third was mostly uphill but not too steep and some very pleasant views. Middle third was very steep with lots of rocks and roots and lots of loose dirt. Made for slow going in both directions. Trekking poles were a must for a guy like me with 62 year old knees. Final third was flat for a bit with a return of nice views. Last 1/4 mile or so was another ascent to the lookout. The 360 views at the top were spectacular.
While "Lightning Bill" is no longer up there the lookout is staffed during the summer. We met up with a forest ranger and a team of pack mules coming down after supplying the lookout right before we reached the summit. We saw nobody on foot and our car and one of the forest service trucks were it in the parking lot upon our return.
Don't be fooled by the short mileage. This hike took us three hours including a short lunch break.
My bottom line is that this hike is well worth doing for the great views.
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