The road has many furrows and potholes and is challenging for low-clearance vehicles. However, I saw at least one sedan all the way at the trailhead, so where there is a will there is a way - but perhaps not without scratching your skid plate.
The A-frame restroom is beautiful to look at from the outside and terrible on the inside. I went confidently armed with a couple chlorox wipes and my own toilet paper saying that no restroom has deterred me, but I promptly noped out.
I sprayed myself with DEET as a precautionary measure before hitting the trail, having reading previous trip reports. I was not bothered by bugs. YMMV.
The trail itself is quite clear. It starts of fairly flat, goes through a series of steep switchbacks, and flattens out for a bit before the steep summit section. Watch out for many cut switchbacks and some side trails that can be misleading.
The trail starts with beautiful views of the Skagit river meandering through the valley, and Whitehorse Mountain. As you ascend the switchbacks, Mt Baker comes into view partially. Eventually Glacier Peak rises above obstructions. Once the switchback section is done, the trail goes around the mountain along a ridge, revealing an exceptional skyline with Glacier Peak, the North Cascades and Picketts, and Mt. Shuksan. A beautiful lake lies in the valley below the ridge. Finally, at the block where the former lookout stands, one can enjoy panoramic views of the mountains around including Mt Baker, and perhaps (as was on this day) Mt Rainier in the distance. Notably missing is Shuksan, which lies behind the summit of Sauk Mountain. This is where most folks (myself included) ended the trail.
Yes, the true summit of Sauk Mountain seems to lie further ahead. However, it is an exposed, class III (?) scramble with poor holds, unless there is a better route that a few of us who looked around failed to find. This being beyond my comfort zone, I content myself with the views from the lookout block. The peaks hidden from view here seem to be Shuksan, Larrabee, and the American and Canadian border peaks. Anyway, the views were still exceptional without the scramble. But for formality’s sake, DNF.
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