Not for the faint of heart, but if you strap on your big kid boots this summit can certainly be done as a day hike. You don't have to worry about any wayfinding past the trailhead, as the trail is well worn in. What's surprising is how empty it is. I suspect people have been avoiding it due to the prospect of the additional 2.5 miles you'll have to hike if the tree farm gate is closed. It seems like this is a seasonal gate that is now open for the summer. To get there, you'll turn off Hwy 101 and drive along a gravel forest road past several turns. But each one is pretty obvious as to which way you need to go. The road is in fine condition, just a couple of tiny potholes. Most of the Y's you come to on the road have one side marked as "Road Closed." This makes it easy to decide which way to go. There are several rocks/stumps along the way with mile markers spray painted on them. When you get to the stump marked "6," park off to the right side of the road. The trailhead is less than 100 yards away, just around the bend from there. We set out from the trailhead around 10am, prepared to spend all day making the summit. Bring plenty of water, as there is none along the ridge. The first mile or so climbs up at a decent clip, switchbacking up to the spine of the ridge. You'll go through some very open areas, which still bear the scars of recent logging. Don't worry, it's not too long before you'll enter the wooded, rolling spine of the mountain. Continue to hike the next few miles in the shade. There's a few ups and downs, just don't think about how the downs will feel coming back up… Maybe around 5 miles (just a guess) you'll see a sign for the Brother's Wilderness Area. Prepare to climb from here. And climb. And climb. There's a few false summits which can be a bit disheartening. Don't give up though! Keep toiling away because the view from the summit is absolutely worth it. On a clear day, you'll even be able to see downtown Seattle. I brought trekking poles with me, but didn't actually feel like I needed them until the descent. My legs were a bit shaky from the climb, and there is a some loose rocks on the trail. Only one tiny patch of snow, which I suspect is probably melted by now. I was so focused on the way up that I didn’t realize just how steep the edge of the trail is, so step carefully. I was glad to have some stiff boots, but you could definitely do this hike in trail shoes. The return hike felt pretty quick, after the initial descent off the summit. And exhausted and exhilarated, we arrived back at the car at 5:30pm. In the end, it took us 7.5 hours to complete this hike.

I didn't make it to the top... late start AND road closure. This has the potential to be a great trail. There are so many places the trail could shift a couple hundred feet and offer amazing views... but no... you have to bushwack. Fine. I did and got amazing views. No snow along the ridge line... not sure what happens past the wilderness boundary. This report is mostly to point out that this is another potential great hike with some trail redesign and the need for the forest service to PUSH on public access. The signage and the trailhead sign/runnout... is horrible. If you hike this in the next few weeks this WILL be a rhododendron explosion. I saw three bald eagles. They were talking to each other... or possibly yelling at me.

I am thinking that fewer people will be able to enjoying this hike because of the closure of the road. It ridiculously adds 5 miles to the entire trip on a very passable road! The trail begins on the right side of the trailhead sign. Passing some woods and an old logging area then you reach the ridgeline. It's pretty unique to be hiking on the ridgeline as it's brighter, breezier and you can hear the nature sounds from far away on both sides. It's a LONG way until you see the big rocky peaks. Patches of snow start here, but no traction device is really needed. There are growing plants at some points, be careful when passing through. The trail is in very good condition and very easy to follow. After many switchbacks among the rocky false summits, you reach the destination! Have your lunch and enjoy the views of The Brothers, Mt Constance, Cascades, Puget Sound and Seattle! Left the closed gate at 8:20 am and returned to the car at 3:55 pm, spent good 40 minutes on the summit and had the mountain all to myself. 19.5 miles long and 5650 feet gain in total! What a day!

Got in a trail run up Mount Jupiter on a sunny Monday in January. Road is blocked 2.7-3.0 miles down from the trail head by an orange gate. The trail is to the right of the green Mount Jupiter trail head sign. It is not the most definitive trail and it's hard to distinguish it from a deer trail. The trail climbs through a clearing with trees that reach a few feet above the head of an average person. The views of the hood canal, Mount Rainer, and the Duckabush Delta are spectacular. There are many ping pong ball sized rocks that litter the trail and small branches. The trail passes through a grove of trees that was left between two sections of logging. After the grove, you reach another logged area with many downed trees and loose branches on the trail. There were loggers burning branches down below the clearing which was kind of startling because of the dryness of the area. This section of the trail lasts a mile and climbs approximately 600 feet. After the second clearing the trail enters into the forest and meanders up the ridge. It follows the ridge on the left (Duckabush side) switches over to the right (Dosewallip side) and back to the left. For three miles the trail is fairly flat gaining only 450 feet. There are many branches, downed trees, and Salal that is encroaching on the trail. The trail's steepness increases significantly after the 3500 feet sign. The gain each mile is about 750 feet and this continues for about three miles. There are many Rhododendrons and fir trees that need to be pushed a side or waded through towards the top. If there is trail work to be done in the future the majority of the work would involve pruning and cutting these obstacles. The trail becomes increasingly rocky as the top gets closer and was very enjoyable to maneuver through. There is minimal snow towards the top considering it's January. The views from the top are some of the most wondrous I've seen. Facing towards the canal you can see Mount Baker, Rainer, Cascades, and the bustling metropolis of Seattle. Facing towards the Olympics the Brothers stand tall to the left and Mount Constance sits on its rocky throne to the right. I stayed at the top until the sun was obscured by the brothers and hiked down as the sun shining through the atmosphere turn the rocks and the trees into a glowing red. On the way down I saw a peculiar Grouse that was very dark feathered. On the way down, there are a few uphills on the flatter section of the ridge that are a little difficult after travelling to the top. The total elevation gain was around 5300 feet and the total distance out and back from the orange gate was about 20 miles. The views of the hike are definitely worth in if your willing to go the distance and elevation on a trail the needs a some work and love.

They're still logging, so I understand they want hikers to go on the weekends only. The gate is still closed, which adds an extra 3 miles (about an hour) each way. Altogether, at a leisurely pace with breaks, it took us exactly 12 hours from the gate to the summit and back to the gate. The day was hot and sunny. 3 liters of water each was about right, as there's no water available on the trail. The trees that were across the road last year are now mostly gone. Yay! Thanks WTA volunteers!! There's still a lot of underbrush encroaching on the trail. However, we were never in any real danger of losing the trail, despite the generous number of switchbacks. Much of the early part of the hike is across clear cuts. Not a pretty sight. However, the views are grand, especially at the top. Note: the trailhead is just after a crane that's been sitting there unused for at least a year. Instead of following the main road up at that point, go straight and you'll immediately see the trailhead on the right. There's so pen or pencil there to sign in, so please bring one to donate so they can see the trail is being used.