A short and easy hike higly recommended if you only have a few hours, or bring along family and friends in bad shape or unused to hiking. I The trail is good and never truly steep, but I must admit I found the trip rather boring. In the end the hike is rewarding, and the drop from the top is …
I'd love to hit this hike again once the snow melts. Trail was clear up until the last third of it, where all the sudden there was quite a bit of snow and keeping the trail was difficult. Some day I'll have the equipment to be able to fly up the trail with or without snow, but not today. We …
The weather was unseasonably warm (50 degrees); the trail was also clear of snow for about half the hike. Some areas were quite slick, so travel carefully and bring a walking pole. A good portion was also in shady areas, so this would be a nice summer hike. The trail is probably busy in the summer, but the lake area …
Feb 23, 2005 and who'd believe you could climb to Mt. Pilchuck in just hiking boots and trekking poles? Our group had to chain up half way up the road to the trailhead....not a good sign for the beginning of a hike. Needless to say, the trail was snow covered from step one but well packed down. The weather was …
What a way to spend a sunny Wednesday afternoon knowing that all of my coworkers are slaving away back at the office. A spontaneous vacation day was just the ticket for getting away for a quick day hike and recharging the ol' batteries. It took a little over an hour to drive from north Seattle to the trailhead. Don't blink …
The hike to Mystic Lake becomes pretty strnuous after you reach the face of Carbon Glacier. After numerous switchbacks in the forest, you are finally rewarded with an beautiful moraine filled with alpine streams, marmots and wildflowers. I did this hike in mid-July of 2004. The wildflowers were good, but I had hoped for better. Of course the shear black …
It is a fun hike for any fit person. I hiked up it with my friends a while back and made it up in 1 hour 20 mins. I was awful proud of myself... The hike seems easy at first until you get into the steep grade and the switchbacks which get to be boring, but it is worth it …
First let me say, I am not a hiker. I don't hike and only went on this hike because one of my room-mates wanted to go and I had nothing else to do. I was very impressed with the scenery and beauty surrounding us the entire hike. Although the trail was probably a bit over my skill-level (not being a …
I made it up on Sun. Jan 30th. I passed up the road at first, expecting it to be better marked. The sign for Mt. Pilchuck Rd. is a little ways off the mountain loop highway. Just watch for the first bridge past the verlot ranger station and take a right. After driving to the end of mt. loop highway, …
My husband and I discovered this trail by accident over Thanksgiving 2003, and when we came to Seattle to get married in January 2005, Bridal Veil Falls was a *must.* The snow was about 6-8 inches deep, but being a bit damp, it provided far more traction than the ice and rain did on our previous trip. The view at …
Started the hike around 12:30. Kinda a late start but the people I was meeting there got lost on the way. Blue skies, and an occasional white cloud. It was very chilly, but as long as you were moving it was perfect. There were places in the forest that hadn't recieved any sun to burn off the frost, which was …
Just thought I'd add to the first report. Once you get to where you look down to the right and see one lake, and there is another big lake to your left. the trail goes around that lake on your left to Bald mountain. When you are south of that big lake you should be looking down at it. And …
I took advantage of the beautiful weather yesterday and totally enjoyed the hike. The trek through snow from start to finish was very enjoyable. Starting around 10:30 got me to the top without too much trouble at a little after 12. Seeing some hikers in snow shoes and various other climbing gear I thought myself slightly under-equiped with just my …
Tried the trail for the first time on Wednesday and had a great time. The weather began to clear just as I made the summit and things definitely warmed up as I descended. The trail is still good because the few inches of new snow lay on a hard, frozen base that kept me from sinking in. I met a …
I just returned from the summit, and I cannot get over what a great day of hiking it was. It certainly didn't feel like December. The beginning was a barely muddy at all, while the middle and the top were packed snow. We were fine in hiking boots and passed people on their way down who were wearing tennis shoes. …
Overall this was a pretty good hike. The grade is never too bad so I think most people would be able to handle it. Apparently the old trail was much more difficult. The hike has the advantage of a choice to go to two separate peaks, Bandera and Defiance if you get up there and feel ambitious. If you are …
The trail is a fun first day hike on a wooden path throw lush forest. The camp site was great and there were a lot of animals, like deer, birds, sealions, seals, ect. The deer were very friendly and would come right up to you. After the amazing sunset we had a nice camp fire and then went to sleep. …
The climb up is actually easier, because going down you have to stop yourself from falling forward :)
A few cars around the trailhead. The only people we ended up seeing was a Boy Scout troupe, on a hike from Mirror Lake and back. The hike starts on a section of the Pacific Coast Trail. Last Sunday it was cloudy down to the ground, and drizzling. The trail crossed many streams, and often was a stream itself. Saw …
Having moved to Seattle just a month or so before I went on this hike, I have to say I was impressed. Some co workers and I on a "team builiding" activity went on the hike after work. We left from Kirkland and in rush hour it took appox. 30 - 45 minutes to get there. At the trail head, …
Most important thing to know about this hike: don’t do it on a cloudy day. You might as well climb stairs. But if it’s a clear day the views from the upper section and the peak are absolute eye poppers. Baker to Rainier, Olympics to the Sawtooths. I mean, wow! This is a top tier view hike, one of Washington’s …
I hiked this on October 02, 2004. The day was sunny. Wow! Lake Serene was absolutely gorgeous. I ate my lunch on the Lunch Rock. The sun hid behind Mount Index and everything was plunged into shadow. Quite an experience. Now getting to the lake was also quite an experience. Those steps are killer on the legs! It is a …
Once you're at Snow Lake, you've just got to go on at least a bit towards Gem. Until you reach the first upward stretch, it's not even any more work, and it's a beautiful walk -- around Snow Lake, with slopes of white boulders plunging under the blue water; across the lake's outlet ravine, on a bridge of a large …
This hike was a good challenge for a day hike, especially for my companions who don't do this sort of thing. The trail went through some very pretty areas, and despite the highway cutting through the scenery below, the view of the area...Rainier, lakes, mountains...was well worth the hike. Definitely bring lots of water, as you will need it. Slow …
I had to give this one a 4 hiker. Maybe because of the wide open areas with sun beating down, maybe because of the bugs not allowing a moments rest, heck, driving up that 20 mile beat up road was a workout. Luckily, the views were so awesome, my wife and I were compelled to continue onward. The views from …