Road: This road is pretty rough and narrow, but potholes are not too bad, the roughness is moreso from all the rocks. There is a suburban that appears broken down around mile 1. To fit around on this narrow road you will be extremely close to the edge. Go slow. There are not many turnouts, but the road is not frequently driven. Trailhead is just a wider place in the road to parallel park. 

Trail: I love this trail. Was last here 2 years ago and did not remember just how technical this trail is. My two trailmates last time thought I was crazy for wanting to do this trail again (and they have both done section J and the Wonderland trail). I did not recall it being so technical but all 3 of us did fall two years ago... You will be staring at your feet the ENTIRE way - mostly due to all the roots. There were I think 3 areas of trees down, 2 you can go over, 1 we shimmied under. Muddy in some sections up at the top. I love the slate rocks up at the top. The view of 3 fingers are spectacular. Took us about 2hr 40min to ascend (yikes!). Last time I was up here there was several piles of bear scat. This time I did not see any. 

Berries: TONS of blueberries. Not many huckleberries. Most of the blueberries are probably a solid 2-3 weeks away from being ripe. In the last 1/2 mile, you'll reach the ripe berries. There are ripe huckleberries if you go past the pass, and continue down the other side. You don't even need to go 0.15mi before you'll reach them.

Bugs: not too bad. I really did not notice any until about midway when a HUGE horsefly that decided my head was the best place to buzz around for the entire rest of the trip. He gave me a few breaks, but I thought I was being swarmed by yellow jackets at first, because of the aggressive nature and size. 

See more pictures & adventures on IG @ Linz_obsessions 

The road to the trailhead is in pretty good shape with a few sections of sharp rocks. The last section before the trail definitely requires slow and careful driving. The trail is in good shape with some mucky sections. It is easy to loose below the climbing rock (follow the steps down in front of the rock and pass in front of the face) and also in the rocky parts of the meadow (look for cairns). The trail is short but the terrain is challenging with many rocks and roots. My dog enjoys the obstacles and the variety of wildlife to sniff. The pass has great views and is comfortably equipped with rock furniture to rest on. There are some nice spots to camp as well. I saw maybe 6 people throughout the hike, and my dog and I had the pass to ourselves. Great hike when you are short on time, but want to escape to a remote area.

Road in:
Moderate potholes, but any vehicle could make it.
As others have said, it’s about 15-20min driving past where google/WTA will send you down the same road. Stay right at the fork.
Good parking options when I arrived around 1030 on a Sunday AM.

Trail:
Pretty technical hiking. First mile or so isn’t too bad with just some rocky segments and steep switch backs. After three o clock rock (a scramble across a big rock fall) the fun begins. More steep switchbacks, but this time they are almost entirely root covered - lots of footwork for getting down. Not impossible though - my 20lb dog was able to manage most on her own. Once you reach the meadow it’s beautiful views, flatter for about half a mile before you get to the pass which is well worth it.

This hike is absolutely incredible, but there are a few things to know ahead of time.

First off, don’t trust Google Maps or WTA directions — when they say you’ve arrived, you haven’t. Just keep driving down the same road for about 20 more minutes. It’s a bit rough in spots, so take your time, but you’ll get there.

The trail itself is no joke — it gains almost 1,000 feet per mile and the terrain is super rocky and rooty. Up to Three O’Clock Rock, the trail’s in pretty decent shape, but after that, it gets muddy, slippery, and a lot more rugged. Definitely not something I’d recommend doing in the rain. Trekking poles helped a ton.

Once you reach the meadow near the top, it totally opens up and the scenery is unreal — beautiful granite, lots of flowing water, and wide-open alpine views. Our pup had a blast splashing in the streams up there.

Heads-up: the lower part of the trail (like 90% of it) doesn’t have any real access to water, even though you can hear it nearby. If you’re hiking with a dog, plan for them to get water up top. Most of the flow is from snowmelt on Higher Squire, so it might dry out later in the season.

At the top, the view of Three Fingers is amazing. I brought binoculars and could just make out the lookout — it’s tiny from that distance. Got lucky with clear skies and even spotted Glacier Peak off in the distance, which was a cool bonus!

Mountaineers winter scramble to Higher Squire and Squire Creek Pass.