Wow, this hike was truly something else! We left the Tunnel Creek trailhead around 9am Saturday and easily found a spot along the main forest road. The other trip reports aren’t lying— it is quite steep from the get-go until reaching Hope Lake 1.5 miles in.
We lucked out and had overcast conditions on the way up (which miraculously cleared up when we got to the top!), which would have been quite brutal in the sun as the PCT follows an exposed ridge line through most of the middle section before making the turn off to Thunder Mountain Lakes. Make sure you bring lots of water (although there are plenty of places to stop and fill/filter if you prefer this route too).
Once you leave the PCT, prepare for some minor bushwhacking, boulder hopping, and snow field crossings as you make your final ascent. This part (~1.5 miles) was tough both mentally and physically, but we were able to follow the cairns just fine and it was so worth the payoff at the top. Quite a few of the snowfields looked rather tenuous and I’d use extra caution in the coming days/weeks as they continue to melt out.
Camp was lovely, albeit a bit windy/chilly when the sun dipped behind the ridge. We were one of maybe 7? 8? parties enjoying camp at the upper lake, but there are quite a few established sites if you do some exploring and it didn’t feel crowded. We were warned by a forest ranger of a mountain goat who had been coming into campsites, and sure enough, he came by around 2am. The dogs were not a fan but we found it rather exciting! Bugs were a nuisance throughout but not horrible with deet.
All in all it took about ~5 hours to get from Tunnel Creek to the top, with plenty of breaks for water, snacks, and marmot watching (so many marmots!) and mileage on my watch showing 6.9 miles and 3700’ gain. Coming down was a tough 3.5 hours on tired legs, but clear views of Glacier and Baker made for an excellent descent.
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