The Sauk Mountain Road is getting worse again. A normal sedan can make it through carefully on the main road but that last naughty bit of about 300 yards to the parking lot would not be recommended unless you have a little higher clearance (my CR-V was fine). Today there was work crew clearing brush from the road side.
I checked the box for wildflowers blooming mostly because I was surprised to see paintbrush and mountain harebell still hanging on and looking fresh this late in September. There is also some color coming on from berry bushes and mountain ash. For me it was a perfect day for hiking with temperatures in the high forties and low fifties with a mix blue sky and clouds. Glacier Peak and most of Mount Shuksan were obscured but the Sauk and Skagit Rivers, Sauk Mountain itself, Bald Mountain, Sauk lake and Mount Baker were very clear. Mount Baker is in its prewinter mode with streaks of brown rock and perfectly formed volcanic cone making it look a little menacing.
The trail is in good condition except for where stupid, disrespectful *#%^!" people have made shortcuts between switchbacks. A few years ago my hiking partner lost their footing on sloped trail on loose gravel and ended on the trail below, scratched up but okay. There are some lingering patches of snow on the hillside going down to the lake. I met about fifteen other hikers on the trail but they were quite spread out and some didn't make to the top.
The old standby alpine style outhouse is still there but not stocked.
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