Hiked up Mt. Washington for the 1st time on 1/24/15 - I was hiking with a partner so got a much later start (10am) than my usual sunrise at the trailhead. It was a decent looking day in Seattle but very wet and cloudy on the Mountain. We passed several groups on the way up and down that were braving the elements for not much more than a workout (zero views). The snow that covered the trail the previous week was mostly gone but there was an abundance of water coming down the mountain and covering much of the trail. There are some steep sections, but we made it up fairly quickly and down even quicker. I'll head back on a day when there is a break in the clouds...

Trail was wet in places with streams of water running down some sections. Upper sections of the trail were intermittently covered in soft snow, very little ice so micro spikes were not necessary, but shoes with good traction were needed, hiking poles were helpful as well. Intermittent rain and overcast, couldn't see much except for the valley. It was windy at the top but there is a nice sheltered area in the trees to hang out at the top out of the wind. Hiking time was around 4.5 hours round trip, including a lunch break at the top. Read the trip report below for directions to find the trail, there are a couple of turns early in the hike.

First time up Mount Washington and it was STUNNING. It was a great trail- a bit rocky but a really fun climb. The first real view is at the "Owl Hike Spot" almost 2 miles up. Do not stop here!!!! The summit views are SO worth it. Keep pushing upward through some long stretches of snow (trekking poles very helpful, crampons not quite necessary), and when you break out of the forest, Rainier is breathtaking. Go to the very summit to see Mount Baker to the north, but my favorite view was that of Rainier just short of the summit. The hardest part of this hike is finding the trail...a lot of different guides gave different instructions so I got a bit confused. Essentially, take the spur trail from the parking lot up to the gravel logging road and head RIGHT. Then take the first trail on your LEFT (marked by nothing but a rock cairn that is more like three stones on the ground). Pretty easy once you know. I would highly recommend this hike on a nice day! Hardly any foot traffic, and very under-appreciated views.

Trail is in fine condition, some snow further up, traction would be helpful here. I took the Great Wall trail back down as a loop, snow in places, nothing difficult. No snow on eastside slopes. This area could be dangerous in adverse snow conditions so always check: http://www.nwac.us/ for current avalanche conditions. Great hike all around, read more at: harrybipedhiking.com/

Got to the parking lot @ 7:30am and was the first car there. There were spots of snow on the trail starting around 2.5 miles in just after you pass the small pond but it was pretty crusty stuff & didn't pose much of a hazard. One small stream crossing that was also no trouble. Trail was muddy in one small section but overall the condition of the trail was fantastic but I'm sure that will change later this week as the rains move in. This hike is rather strenuous in parts but worth it when you see the views from the top. I encountered 7 other hikers on my way back down and quite a few more cars in the parking lot. I guess those people were doing other hikes.