The road to the trail is rough and has potholes, but we managed to make it up to the trailhead in a sedan. There was one washout relatively close by that might pose a problem if you have a low-clearance car, but it seemed like parking on the side of the road was okay if you don't feel like you can make it past. We snagged the last space at the trailhead, just after noon.

The trail itself was in good shape but definitely was mentally taxing. There were rocks and roots aplenty, and it was tough to enjoy some of the views without tripping. The rock field before Elan Lake was fine, with one a couple loose sections. Some of the rocks in the area were pretty dusty and easy to slip on. The views in the rock field are nice for something so close to the trailhead. The cairns at this rock field aren't super visible, and we benefited from seeing a couple groups hiking out while we were hiking in.

After the rock field, the ascent up to Elan Lake was quite steep. The trail was dusty, but had good footing. We paused to refill water from the stream running off of the lake, then continued onto the peak.

There were several campsites between the lake and the final scramble to the top. All looked clean, had level dirt, and with room for a 2-3 person tent. That stretch of the trail looked down on Elan Lake, so we didn't feel too badly about skipping that stop on the way up.

The final climb up to the peak was the most fun part of the hike. We had a relatively clear day and could see mountains in all directions. The trail turns into cairns that give a mostly friendly path on the way up. The granite boulders provided flat, grippy footholds, but we both opted to stash our trekking poles in favor of having hands free for the steepest sections.

The peak itself was beautiful with 360 degree views and a spectacular sunset. There are 2 tent sites at the top, right next to each other. One was taken and we opted to search for a spot in the area just below the peak, to the west. Most of the area has vegetation, but we eventually found a small rock ledge that we could fit our tent on. There are no water sources or bathrooms (or dirt to dig a hole) if you camp up here.

Sunday, we woke up and enjoyed sunrise from the peak. The wildfire smoke had drifted in overnight and it was getting heavier as the morning went on. We packed up and tried to hike out before it got any worse. The large boulder field near the peak was an easy descent but the rest of the hike was a bit of a slog. Smoke blocked any of the decent views, and made it harder to breathe deep and relax in nature. It was a slow and plodding hike out, as the descent was too steep/rooty/rocky to actually keep up any sort of pace without worrying about rolling an ankle.

Overall a great peak, and a good enough hike. It took us 3.5 to 4 hours, each way to complete. Don't underestimate this hike because it's only 8 miles. There's little tree cover past the first half mile and could be relentlessly hot on a sunny day.

This is a challenging but rewarding trail! The trail markings are generally cairns, which can be tricky to spot when you’re hiking/climbing in the rock fields. We lost the trail twice in the same rock field, so make sure you’re paying attention! I also wouldn’t recommend this for dogs given the steepness and amount of climbing required. Fantastic views at the top though.

First time doing Vesper Peak and it did not disappoint. Took me 5 hours 15 minutes, and that incline is no joke. Granted I made a detour to the lake, but in the end I tracked 4633 feet of elevation gain. Trail was in good condition, be on the lookout for human stacked rocks which help identify the trail. There are quite a few places where you can easily get off trail. The views at the top are great though -- so enjoy it when you make it up there!

What an amazing adventure! I've had this on my list forever, and it did not disappoint. The gravel road is in decent shape, and as mentioned in previous reports, there is a large ditch about 1/3 mile from the trailhead. I was fine in a CRV, but if you have low clearance, you will have to decide how much you hate your car. Some sedans did it, others did not. The lot is pretty small, so be prepared to park on the road. At 7:30 am on a Friday, I got one of the last few spots.

I used Gaia a couple times on the way to Headlee Pass. It's really important to download the map for this one! Overall though, the trail was pretty easy to see; it becomes a slight challenge on the talus fields. It took me just under 2 hours to reach the pass. The terrain is challenging but doable with care. Definitely ankle-breaking material on occasion! And be prepared to CLIMB. I'm super glad I started early, because I was already sweating at 9 am. ;p

Once at Headlee Pass, the trail descends for a little bit before crossing a rocky shoulder. You are then quite close the Elan Lake, which sits just beyond a short scramble. I skipped the lake and pressed on towards Vesper. The next bit is steep and rocky (story of this whole trail), but easy to follow. Before I knew it, I was on the granite.

The "unmaintained" trail on Gaia didn't exist. I just figured out the general direction of the summit and picked my own path. Not sure it was the best path, but it worked. It is really, REALLY tempting to take that gully on your left. But it will not lead you to the summit, so don't do it! I tried to take it coming down, and I got cliffed out. So no path of least resistance, sorry folks. I finally discovered the trail during the last few hundred feet. The way down was more challenging. Some big steps, trial and error (turning back because cliffed out or too big a drop), so take your time and don't be afraid to look around for better options. Just don't stray too far!

Views were very smoky, unfortunately. Still gorgeous, and I can't wait to go back! The trail was pretty busy, but not weekend-busy. Lots of fellow soloists! One final suggestion: bring poles!! Helpful for descending the steep sections once off the peak. Also, grippy shoes, my people. Really grippy shoes. You don't want to fall backwards on that granite.

The gravel Road wasn’t too bad, except for a couple of patches of really deep potholes near the top. Got to the trailhead about 9:45. The parking lot was full, but there were spots to park on the side of the road. There’s a funky old outhouse that looks like it’s ready to fall apart, but it really wasn’t much worse than the one at the Mount Dickerman trailhead. The 1st mile and a half or two of the trail is rooty, then we picked our way through the talus field. We were glad that we downloaded the map of the recommended route before we left home because there’s no cell service up there. That helped us find the right approach to the correct gully that leads up to Headlee pass. There are type switchbacks in the scree field up the gully, now renamed by us as Headlee’s sweaty squiggles. Vesper Lake is beautiful and the stream runoff is a good place to filter water if needed. Then there was another talus field leading up to the scramble over granite slabs. We found through trial and error that sticking to the left up to the ridge below the summit was a far better approach than trying to go up to the right where we found ourselves in a lot of dead ends. The weather was great, but there was a lot of haziness in the air due to the various fires around. However, the views were incredible. I could make out the Brothers in the Olympics. Very sad to see how little snow there is left on Glacier Peak. The way down was nearly as slow as the way up as we had to pick our way down the granite slabs, then through talus, the scree the gully, the talus field at the bottom, then the rooty trail. Poles were helpful through some of it, but not so much through the talus nor the granite slabs. But overall, an incredible day out in the mountains.