We arrived to the parking area just about 10:00 on a sunny Saturday, Memorial Day weekend.  The "lot" was already full, so we parked along the side of the main road where there were already a couple of other cars.  Although there were a lot of cars here, the trail did not seem too busy or crowded, which was nice. 

This was our first time on this trail, so the stick arrows were very helpful- thank you to whoever did this!  Once you get off the dirt road walk, and onto the trail itself, it gets pretty steep quickly.  We took lots of breaks, which was fine because there are mountain views almost from the very start.  Also a lot of wildflowers blooming right now!  It was a warm day, so we were thankful to have lots of water- and plenty of water for the dogs too.  The breeze on the ridge was nice and cooled us down though and made it more comfortable. 

The views today were amazing--- really this hike is all about the views.  Because the forest was recently burned, 2018?, the trees don't provide much shade or shelter, or beauty.   However, the wildflowers in the understory made up for it, as well as the incredible mountain views and the views of the lake.  I would definitely hike this again on a day like today--- goldilocks weather-- warm but not too hot, and clear skies.  A hot summer day would be tough, and a cloudy or foggy day would be disappointing. 

There was a group of dirt-bikers riding across the valley, we could hear them on the way up.  When we got to the ridge, we saw them summiting Hex.  We opted to go up to the view area to the left first, have lunch up there, and then when we saw the large group of bikers leave the Hex summit, we crossed the ridge, and checked out the views over there as well.

Oh, also we brought two poles (to share for the two non-dog-walkers).  They were a little helpful on steep areas, but really the only tricky thing about this trail is the dry loose dirt sliding.  And poles don't really help much with that. 

P.S. Just realized that my younger son will turn 13 soon, and we will no longer be categorized as "hiking with children." Weird.  The end of an era.  

Beautiful clear day. I’m grateful to whoever made the navigation arrows! There was one patch of snow (about 8 ft) but you can walk around it. A few downed trees easily climbed over. I saw no one on the way up and three pairs of people on my way down.

If you are the new UW resident, I thought later I should have given you my contact info! My ig is annie.eidele if you want to reach out :)

After reading a gaggle of trip reports on Hex Mountain, I thought we should give it a go--despite the mildly disturbing name. I wonder if there's a Jinx Mountain? Anyway, here's the DL: WTA directions were fine. When you turn up FS Road 116 (unmarked), it'll be a short mile till the gate. Follow the main road as you set off hiking, and yes--the arrows and the word Hex spelled out in sticks in several places were very helpful for us first timers. Thank you! One more note on the trail: it is pretty steep after the FS road section, and dry, with dirt, sticks, little rocks. Bring poles and wear shoes with tread--like, NOT your skateboard kicks. Also, there were a couple blowdowns across the trail, but they were no problem. Biggest challenge was the dry, slippery trail sections.

The views, actually much of the way up, are really lovely: Cle Elum Lake, the surrounding Eastern Washington terrain (dry hills with lodgepole pines and beautiful wildflowers), Mt. Rainier looming behind you, and a buncha snow-streaked mountains that I wish I could name--others have in these pages. Wildflowers we saw today included, in roughly the order in which we saw them as we ascended: light orange and fire-orange paintbrush, lupine, flowering currant, arnica (I think--yellow daisies in bunches), agoseris, lavender penstemon, glacier lilies, twinflower (I think), trillium, spreading phlox. And there were more.

RT is 7.5 miles, with considerable elevation gain. A short, but pretty hike, and a good angst-relief valve exertion-wise! Happy hiking!

IMPORTANT: The directions supplied by WTA are not correct. You should be aware that you need to turn left immediately after exiting 90 headed east. It is the second roundabout where you will take the second exit headed north. The road to turn off is unmarked. It is the third turn (a dirt drive) after a fire station. There will be no indication you have found the trail. There is a green bar across the road which makes it appear to be a private road. Congrats, you have found the trail.

The trail is NOT well marked as the WTA post implies. Some kind souls (myself included if I do say so myself) have tried to make the correct path obvious. The summit is nondescript and there are additional trails leading away. These trails are fantastic but do NOT lead back to Hex Mountain Trail.

OK! Housekeeping aside, it is a lovely hike. It is one constant uphill climb. The views are beautiful the entire way up. Much of the area was burned several years back giving the entire hike an eerie yet beautiful look. The lake stays behind you most of the hike but is spectacular. The last mile can be quite windy. Keeps dogs close as the ledge is not stable. 

At the top, you will cross over a sandy ridge and have an incredible view. You can continue down and on to the Sasse Mountain Trail but keep and eye on your map to ensure you can meet back up. The Sasse trail is used by others beyond hikers so you will likely meet up with mountain bikers or even a truck on one of the roads. 

Stats:

Total Distance: 8.5 miles

Time: 3.5 hours 

Dogs: 3

Snacks: one protein bars

This was a fantastic hike, and my friend is already talking about doing it again and bringing other friends to witness its beauty. 

We arrived to the WTA coordinates at around 9:20 a.m. There were only two or three other cars there at that time. I somehow missed the description to follow the trail north-easternly pass the gate, but thankfully, some kind person made arrows with twigs pointing you in the right direction (our thanks to that person — there are quite a few forks in the road before you reach the trailhead without clear markings other than the twig art). On the way up, we only passed one couple on their way down. There were a couple patches of snow as we got closer to the summit, but they were small and easy to maneuver without any special gear. There were a couple of downed trees we had to climb over, but again, nothing impassable. When we reached the summit, there were only 2-3 small groups. We enjoyed lunch at the top of the mountain (off to the left). It's really windy up there! Make sure to bring a warm layer if you plan to spend any time up there. 

On the way down, we saw quite a few groups coming up, and when we reached our car (around 1:40 p.m.) there several more cars, but still some room to park. 

The trail itself is very dry and dusty, which made the descent slightly dicey at times. If you don't like peeing in the woods, I recommend stopping at a bathroom in one of the small towns before arriving at the trail, as there is no restroom.