I started up the trail at 7:00 AM. It was a glorious morning and my third attempt to reach the Pass this year. It was more than worth the third effort. The trail is steep, but clear of obstructions. The granite slabs at the top are unique and impressive. The views are stunning. I lingered longer at the Pass than I usually do at a destination. This isn't an easy hike, but it is a very fine one. When I attempted this hike in February, there were waterfalls everywhere on the granite. Today there were only a few trickles and they were near the Pass. Seeing the changes that occur with the seasons make the trip entirely different and interesting. Now that I have waypoints entered into my GPS, I might return next winter.

Got away from the marine layer back here,sunny and warm all day. This trail is not for the "white tennis shoe and no water bottle" crowd you see on the I-90 corridor hikes. Eydie couldn't make it so my hiking buddy and I were the only ones at Squire pass all day. A couple of rock climbing groups were heading as far as 3 O'clock rock. There are not enough superlatives to describe the pass area. Be warned. P.S. Trail head starts at only 6.2 miles from Mountain loop highway as earlier report indicates. One spot on road needs very slow negotiation.

Not for the weak kneed as this trail is serious about its elevation gain. There were tiny patches of snow on the trail - which will likely be gone in a day or two. Still quite a bit of snow on the north facing south side of the pass. The melting snow above is sending down significant amounts of water - which makes for a pretty gooey trail in some places - but also stunningly beautiful small pools, waterfalls and streamlets. No problem crossing and keeping feet dry - though there was a bit more water coming down in the afternoon than in the morning. Just took some thoughtful foot placement. Wildflowers in the open traverse on the lower section and then carpets of bunchberry with some avalanche lily sprinkled in between. The heather above is just starting to pop in both purple and white. Spectacular views and plenty of space up top to find a quiet private place to enjoy the beauty.

Hot day today, 90+. This was a great hike. We headed up road 2060 out of Darrington for 6 miles. The road is easily drivable with a two wheel drive vehicle. The trail head is on the right labeled Eight Mile Creek. The snow was free pretty much all the way to the pass. At the pass there was still quite a bit of snow up the slopes to the south. Toward the top you need to watch for the Cairns which are easy to follow. The trail gets right with it from the start. There are lots of exposed roots (Think Mailbox Peak here)and several stream crossings some of which will require you to get your feet wet, but all easily passible. Some of the streams are not deep but just too wide to jump. The trail had been recently worked on to saw through blowdowns and cut brush back. Distance wise, there seems to be some discrepancy. Forest Service says 2.5 miles one way, my Pargeter map says 3.4 miles and the Green Trails says 3.0. I would say that Green Trails was most accurate. The elevation gain is 2400 feet in those 3 miles. In terms of difficulty, I would say its about the same as hiking Lake Serene except take out all of the nice wooden steps like you have on the Lake Serene trail and replace them all with eroded tree roots and water crossings. The scenery is absolutely stunning. At the pass you are looking directly at the east face of Three Fingers right up close with it's hanging glaciers and waterfalls running down. With a binoculars you can see the lookout on the south finger. To the north west you are looking at the back side of White Horse and Mt. Bullon, to the south west, Big Bear Mtn. From the pass if you bush wack the ridge to the north just a slight ways you will get great views of Sloan and Glacier Peaks. Sloan Peak can be seen at several points along the trail on the way up to the pass. No bugs yet.

Hiked to Squire Creek Pass using the Eight Mile Creek trailhead just out of Darrington. Very nice streams, tarns, and meadows at the top, plus a nice view of Three Fingers and Whitehorse Mountains. Trail was snowfree and in OK shape except for last half mile, which had snow, mud, and snow melt. A little difficult to follow at times but there were cairns to guide the way. Parts of the trail are mudpits and some sections require a bit of scrambling. The hike feels much longer than its distance because it starts climbing right away and doesn't stop. Not many bugs out but also still too early for huckleberries. The 6 mile road to the trail head is in decent shape but if you don't have a high clearance vehicle, drive carefully, especially in the first 1 -2 miles which have a couple of potentially difficult ditches to navigate.