With a heat wave in Seattle, I knew the trail and parking area would be busy. The lower parking lot was nearly full when I arrived at 6:00am (the gate to the upper lot wasn’t open yet). I took the new trail up and down and logged just over 13 miles. I noticed some bugs in the damp lower section, but they weren’t a bother once I got through that part. There was still some snow on the upper trail but it was easy to navigate, and it will be gone soon.

The upper section, wow, that’s a doozy! I had people telling me I was almost there, but the trail kept going up and up, it seemed like it would never end! The views were amazing, though, and I just took my time and took frequent breaks.

It was a beautifully clear day with full 360 degree views from the top. The whole hike took me just over 9 hours, and it was 90 degrees when I got back to my car. I was exhausted but it was a great day!