I've hiked Spray Park previously, but this was my first time to Eunice Lake and the Tolmie Peak lookout. Yikes, what a popular trail. We set out about noon on a very lovely fall day, in short-sleeves-and-shorts weather (in October!), so I wasn't surprised to see a lot of folks on the trail. Still, we were amazed by just how many -- a nearly nonstop string of humanity. Eunice Lake is lovely, and we were able to find a spot away from the masses to dip our feet in the very clear water. The lookout has a spectacular view of the mountain and beyond -- although I personally prefer the more up-close view from Spray Park. We were able to make it up onto the fire lookout platform for a moment, but just on the side because the front was full. The ridge next to the lookout was pretty full, too. As we headed out in the late afternoon, we met up with all the people (and some very big groups) heading up to watch sunset from the lookout and ridge, which would be fun to do.
You can shorten this trip (by as much as a mile?) by not starting at the Mowich Lake parking lot, but further down the road. The trail is in great shape -- and the last push up to the lookout is steep but not all that long, coming from someone who regularly hikes trails that ascend 2,000-3,000 feet, rather than about 1,000 (probably more in reality given the ups and downs of this trail).
And yes, the 14-15 miles of dirt forest service road up to the trailhead are rough, but actually much better than we've experienced some years -- not a lot of big potholes, for example. Your car will need a wash afterward, however. The traffic has caked the plants alongside the road in a coat of thick dust.
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