Mount Pugh — Sunday, Jul. 31, 2022

After the previous trip reports, I was wondering if there would still be snow up there, but after a week of 90° days, I decided to go and see.    Luckily all snow on the trail has melted and only a couple of very small patches remain on the trail.  

Mount pugh might be one of my favorite hikes in the cascades, but it is very tough.   The first ~4 miles are spent in the forest on a not too steep trail (though it always is gaining elevation).   This portion feels in effort level, like roughly half the hike.   The second half of the hike is only 1.5 miles, but it is pretty tough.  After leaving the forest, the trail becomes steeper and steeper until it becomes a somewhat exposed scramble.   

Today, when I left the forest, wildflowers were blooming everywhere and a marmot was out.   It was incredibly beautiful.  I slowed down at this point and started power hiking to deal with the elevation.   The trail was steep but not scary at all until I reached the pass.  

After the pass, the trail became much steeper eventually going along a sharp ridge, and then turning into a scramble to the top.   I was fine with the exposure, but anyone who's afraid of heights should probably consider a different hike.   There was some scrambling involved where there's no way up without using hand holds.   It's not too bad, but it could be intimidating.

At the top, the weather was clear and I was able to see Baker, sloan peak, Ranier, and glacier peak.   It was incredibly beautiful and made the run/hike worth it.  

Not to many people were on the trail today.   I passed only around 5 people total.