The last trip report was filed four days ago, and the road up to the trailhead is still terrible. I drove up in the ol' Dodge Ram 4×4 and did just fine but I had to take it slow for obvious reasons. It took about 40+ minutes to drive up.

This is the third time I've hiked Pilchuck. The first hike was a few years ago, and I was turned around by snow. The last time I made it to the lookout. There were some gorgeous views after the boulder fields, and since today was clear, I could see Everett and all the mountain peaks from Mount Baker to Mount Rainier.

The scramble up to the lookout wasn't too bad. The lookout had about four people already there, and more were filtering in as I ate my CLIF Bar and drank some beet juice. Scrambling back down the lookout was a little nerve-racking. Hiking poles were a major hindrance during this segment so if you have poles, stow them for the time being until you get out of the boulders.

I passed several people heading up as I was hiking down and when I reached the parking lot, there had to be 40+ cars in the lot. The road, of course driving down was a hellish nightmare- avoiding potholes and driving at a snails pace is never fun but some times it's what we have to go through to get to the hikes we love so don't let the road be a hinderance. Obviously a high clearance vehicle is the best choice so you don't scrape the undercarriage but there were some sedans at the trailhead. The Heather Lake parking lot was full with cars lining down both sides of the road.

It was a great hike today. Plenty of sun shine and some bugs but not too bad. Bring sun screen, a lot of water and some bug spray to make it a more enjoyable hike. And get there early to avoid the crowds.