Friday afternoon hike, starting around 11 am, used the main trail. The forecast was for sun and low visibility with no wind. The trail is mostly in great shape, with a few rocky sections and one move I'd call a scramble, probably because I'm short and needed my hands for the taller steps.
Very minor amounts of snow remained, only covering the final 200 feet of vertical to the summit, which is shaded, northeast-facing, and among the trees. By the time I arrived around 2-3 pm, the snow was soft. Most people on the trail wore hiking boots or shoes, while the rest wore sneakers. No one I spoke with used microspikes or traction devices, since the snow was soft.
The summit was very windy and cold, so I stayed only briefly. I needed a hat, gloves, buff, base layer top, fleece top, puffy jacket, and shell pants over leggings, along with sunglasses, trekking poles, and boots. I read the trip report from one day prior, stating snow from 4,500 feet, so I wore boots for the ascent and switched to trail runners once back on the trail on descent. I was glad the hike was short enough that I could carry different footwear options.
Great hike, worth it -- and I caught the end of the Mariners game on the radio during the drive home, including Gino Suarez's grand slam in the 8th inning, which saved the home series and boosted the team's momentum heading to Toronto. Go M's!
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