As advertised - good (not great) forest, limited views, great trail, relentless climb. Not technical. Saw one black bear about one mile up, probably two years old. Seems acclimated to hikers, indifferent to noises. Left trail after about 10 minutes. Heard another about .5 miles into the summit loop on the left side. Not a great hike for beginners; at least half the people who started turned around at or before the summit loop junction.

Had no idea Rose would kick my butt as hard as it did,if you hope to summit you need to be in decent hiking shape or forget about it.I took my 50lb pack and started out at a good clip and before long was drenched in sweat and feeling the burn. At around the 2 mile mark I had to dump 16 lbs of weight (to gallon jugs I hall for training) just to continue on. I took the steeper trail at horse camp and reached the summit feeling spent. The whole way down my legs were rubber and I had to take several short breaks. This is not a particularly long hike (round trip took just over three hours) but if you are training for something bigger (Mount Adams for me) it is totally worth the trip.

Went on this hike knowing that it was gonna be a doozy. It did not disappoint. This is a steep and strenuous hike, and if you are a casual type hiker or unaccustomed to inclines, it may just put you in your place. It did to me. I hike regularly, but this was an intense workout with a constant upward climb. Several hikers along the way told us they were conditioning to climb Mt Rainer, and I easily believe it. The weather was warm and the bugs were out in full force. It was a dilemma because I needed frequent breaks, but when I would stop the mosquitoes would start digging in. Definitely a hike to do in the fall. We made it as far as Horsecamp before the loop to the summit, so we were resoundingly defeated my this trek. The clouds were very thick around the summit and we feared that our exertions would be for nothing. Another day when the air is crisp and cold and the sky is clear as can be, this hike will be conquered by me. But not today.

First hike in the NB Minimus trail running shoes with a full load (see my 30lb 1 year old son plus gear ~50 lbs or better) Despite Mount Rose being lower in elevation than a majority of the Olympic Mountain Range, don't let its' 4300' elevation lull you into a false sense of security like it did me- this hike hurt. Renowned as one of the steeper trails in the Olympics, it certainly doesn't disappoint. You earn every foot of altitude gain, especially by taking the steeper route at the split. I wanted to test myself and this hike surely did that. Coming down was nice and painful too, as my thighs quivered after about 2 miles down. We met a cool guy and a woman along the trail, no wildlife tho. All in all, a good hike, but not too much for views along the way. The streams are all going pretty good and the conditions were very good, plus there are some berries along the trial too.

OUCH! THAT HURTS! Very steep. Lost the trail above the loop intersection because of snow on the trail and must have missed the red tape trail markers hanging in trees. Ended up following fresh foot prints until we got back to the trail.