Dirty Harry's Peak, Dirty Harry's Balcony — Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026

We arrived at the trailhead at 8:30 am. There were only a few spots left in the lot. Bathroom is open. We had originally planned to hike to the balcony, but weather and trail conditions were good so we ended up hiking to the peak and skipping the balcony. 
The trail to the balcony is snow-free with a few spots of mud. We took the turn to head up the peak and soon encountered slush and intermittent ice. The trail is snow-covered from about 3,100 feet of elevation onwards; we put on our microspikes and used poles. In hindsight, I wish I would have also put on my waterproof shell here, because snow on the trees was melting and sending snow bombs down on us. This got particularly bad in the final couple of switchbacks where the trail narrows and there is more sun exposure. There are also a few small streams and one large stream to cross on the way up - poles and waterproof boots were helpful here. 
Views from the top are majestic. We could see Dirtybox next door and Rainier in the distance. Snow is a couple feet deep on the summit and very wet and heavy. The hike down was more slushy with the snow melt from the previous few hours. We’re back at the car and on the way home by 3 pm.