On a sunny Sunday afternoon, I headed out to conquer a low peak. The roads beyond my neighborhood were dry and clear, and the Brevier Road parking lot was well plowed. The trail from the parking lot alternated between ice and mud. The mud was deep and sloppy in places. It will take at least a week of warm dry days before it becomes reasonable to walk on it, but plenty of people have tried.  I stayed on the remnants of ice as much as I could, which became easier as I climbed in elevation. Taking the Emerald Necklace to the south so I could enjoy the sunshine, much of the trail was still completely covered in snow. I considered hiking the new Arrow Leaf trail, but it was too muddy, so I turned back. The rest of the Emerald Necklace to the eastern summit trail was snowy, as was most of the climb to the summit. After a brief rest at the top, I headed back down the west summit trail and opted for Tower Road which was covered in snow, and kept my shoes out of the mud.  The afternoon sun had softened the snow enough for me to put on my microspikes for the hike down.

Hiked with my dog up the summit loop (went back down the way I came up). Were only a handful of people, it was very peaceful and quiet. The trail near the end get's fairly steep and the trail has a bit of a trench running through it, but overall the hike was not very extraneous. There are a couple of really nice points that overlook the Valley and Spokane. Good rocks to sit on, take a break and eat lunch. You will know you are the top when you get to the radio tower (there are a couple). I didn't see a marker for the summit. To take the summit trail there are 2 forks - take a left at the first, and a right at the second.

Did the Antoine peak trail via the emerald necklace and even though it was a cloudy day the scenery was gorgeous. I should have hiked this yesterday when we had the blue bird, but oh well. A few trees down along the path and several places needed some love after the rain tore them apart but overall a decent hike with an almost pavement like walking surface.

Hiked the Emerald Necklace Loop that breaks off the Summit Trail. About 4.5 miles. Started at 6 pm and ended at 8 with breaks along the way for others in our group to catch their breath. Great trail to visit on. Some rutting. The views were amazing all the way around. One of my favorites.

What a great little morning hike. I had the trail all to myself with the exception of a few mosquitos. Awesome views and a fun trail made for a great start to the day.