It was pretty good. I went with my closest buds. a lot of us were first timers so we didn't do very well at all. however we pushed through and got to the top. kind of. we tried to take a shortcut but the snow just kept getting worse and we could no longer keep going. we should have taken the original route, but everyone makes mistakes. I would definitely recommend this hike. thank you

Took advantage of the 70 degree weather. Plenty of parking but at least 15 cars in the lot. Saw about 20 people on the trail.

First half mile is basically a gravel access road. After that elevation kicks off and most of the climb is loose rocks. Around 3 miles in still patches of snow covering trail and some traction gear is helpful. Last .5 mile is pretty brutal climb especially over snow but views at top were incredible. Spotted a pika around some rocks as well.

Highly recommend in spite of the rocky ascent if it’s a clear day, because the payoff is stellar. Would not recommend on overcast or rainy days.

Gaia Stats:
Ascent: 4.27miles, 2hr 17min, 2,980ft.  Descent: 4.30 miles, 1hr 57min

A very lovely I-90 corridor hike! Great forest walk with good variation and a solid view of the lakes and Mt. Rainier at the top. And on the other side, peeks  of Baker, Glacier and such. Only patchy snow near the top, used a pole and managed just fine without micro spikes. This one is definitely steeper than some of the other North Bend usual's, but very much worth it. Once your about half way in the I-90 noise fades out, so I pulled out the headphones to enjoy the wilderness, and plus you never know if you’re going to make a new friend! In all, ran into maybe less than a dozen people total on the trail.

Cheers!

This trail is like hiking a creek bed 80% of the time with 10% ok trail and 10% snow. It's worth doing while waiting for other trails up I90 to open up but you pretty much have to watch every step you take. Not a lot of views until you get to the top but good distance and vert. we clocked 4:40 hrs and 9.01 miles. We brought micro spikes but didn't end up using them, trekking poles were a must.

This hike is a bit of an obstacle course, but the payoff is amazing. The first mile or so is super rocky and there are several other rocky parts to challenge your ankles and balance. There's water over the trail in a couple of places. And then there are some big snow patches starting at about 3400'. None of the snow patches last very long, just long enough to tempt you to put on spikes, and then there's more dirt and rocks following. I went all the way up and back with just poles and it worked out. The hike's only 9 miles, but it always feels like I've worked harder than that.

The payoff though: the view is one of the best on the I-90 corridor. On top of that, the weather has brought out the first pikas and wildflowers. Great week for this hike. 

Some other details: saw about 20 other hikers, which seems like a lot for this trail on a Wednesday, but did I mention the weather was perfect? Had plenty of solitude though. The trailhead bathrooms were open, clean and stocked.