First time on Hamilton Mountain.  80 degree day and did not start until 10!  Trail is UP.  To the waterfalls is beautifully shaded and then you start climbing.  There is a small section that felt pretty scrambly about 2/3 up. 

We ran across SO many people not wearing masks as we passed.  Seriously, people!  COVID!

There are great views along the way.  We took the loop and really enjoyed it.  One of the more challenging 2000 ft gain hikes I have done in a while.

This was a BEAUTIFUL hike for a cloudy and rainy morning. When we got to the top, we could see the clouds moving through our bodies. when the clouds broke every few seconds, the view was beautiful, but I would argue that the cloudy scenery was even more attractive to look at. It felt like a scene from Lord of the Rings.

Great trail. Waterfall, creek, gorge views and view of Mt Adam. The up and down from Hamilton trailhead is 6.4 miles. The loop which includes hardy trail is 7.9miles. Fitbit logged 8 miles and 2300 ft elevation gain. Today it rained and was muddy. It’s up so slippery coming down.

I noticed that I hadn't explored the Gorge area very much so I decided to go solo hiking in the area on Thursday. I showed up at 930am to an almost completely full trail head. What was a little unsettling to me were that most of the people starting their hikes were in groups of 6+ without masks. There were 2-3 large groups starting around the same time as me. Not only did it make it difficult to get some quiet but the groups were very stop and go, which made it extremely difficult to distance from them. Again, no masks in sight. Later on in the hike, mostly on return to the trail head, there were smaller groups and intermittent face covering upon passing (thank you!).

The trail itself was lovely and well-maintained. It definitely gets pretty muddy near the falls but the staircase made it super manageable. Bugs were a nuisance in the exposed areas and at the top. The views were better on the journey up/down than from the summit. The wildflowers are out!

Arrived at the trailhead around noon, parking lot mostly full, but still a few spaces left, since early morning hikers were already leaving at this point. Trail was muddy especially near the lower elevation waterfalls, courtesy of the recent rain, but otherwise in good condition. I believe I counted only 1-2 blowdowns. Trail wasn't as steep as I thought it was going to be. The breeze on the ridge kept most of the bugs at bay. Views from Hamilton Mtn summit are mostly obscured by foliage, so keep on trekking to the open saddle with better views. Took Hamilton Mtn Trail up for the views, and Hardy Creek Trail down for a less punishing descent on the knees.