Quick facts and stats:
- Road is snow-free and passable all the way.
- Trail is mostly snow-free with exception of last 0.3 mi.
- WTA rates this trail as moderate, I’d say it’s harder end of moderate.
- 50 min up, 15 min at the top, 40 min down.
- Beautiful!
Access Road & Trailhead
Gravel Prius-rated road drivable in 30 min from the highway to the top. Very few potholes and rocks. It’s insanely steep in places though, so the lowest gear will be your friend for a while.
That being said, last 0.2 mi - after the last hairpin turn - are less sedan-friendly. A couple sedans at the top indicated it was doable. I’ve been overly cautious lately so I elected to park at the large pullout 0.3 mi from the trailhead - just before a deeper-than-usual rut crossing the road.
The “cute little A-frame outhouse” has a large sign saying it’s not maintained and unsafe to use, which doesn’t seem to be true: it is stocked with TP and not smelly at all. It’s not lockable though.
Trail
Wow, what a beauty! Once again I realized one can get fantastic mountain/lake views in WA without going deep into the mountains.
Sweeping views start immediately as you hit the trail. I was lucky to get a random window in clouds and enjoy views southward. Mountain will tower above you as an ominous spoiler to upcoming hike. While switchbacks do their thing making climb easier, this trail is definitely “upper moderate” difficulty.
Once you’re at the ridge, incredible views of valleys and the Cascades will open. Even though it was almost zero visibility on the switchback section today, the ridge held clouds, making views northward available.
Last stretch of the trail runs along the ridge. There is a junction with trail towards the lake - make sure to follow right path when coming back. Approx. 0.3 mi from the peak, snowfields begin. No gear is required to cross them, though poles may help when descending. Last 0.1 mi is an aggressive climb over loose rocks to the summit, where one will be rewarded with 360 degrees - or 180 degrees today - views.
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