We hadn't been here in several years (since the great "non-winter" of 2014-2015, when we hiked up in February!) so wanted to give it another try with some friends who recently moved to the area. The majority of the trail is through the forest and you don't get much of a view until the literal summit, but it's still a very lovely, serene hike through the pines, and the summit itself is absolutely breathtaking. Great view of Glacier Peak, and Baker in the distance. It took us about 2 hours to hike up and ~1.25 hours to hike down, but we stayed at the top for a long time to soak up the sun and enjoy a leisurely lunch.
We arrived at the trailhead around 11:30 and there were still a couple parking spots. Pleasantly surprised, although I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have been so lucky in the summer. The road is not too bad; we managed it, slowly, in a Honda Civic. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being smooth asphalt and 10 being the hellscape that is Phelps Creek Rd, I'd give this road a solid 4-5.
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