Enjoyed a moderate hike with two children between the ages of 10 and 5 hiking to the Summit; where we had soda, salami, and crackers, enjoying a well earned break while sitting and taking in stunning views of the Palouse. 

We started out about 1pm. Plenty of parking. Only saw a few other people. Trails were in excellent condition with an only few areas of mud. View at top beautiful with ice on the treetops and a little wind. Overall, a lovely way to spend the afternoon and get some exercise. Our daughter who is 9 months pregnant made it to the top!

I hiked a counterclockwise loop up the West End Primitive Trail and down the east end of Pine Ridge. The new interpretive map at the trailhead says it's 4.3 miles but my GPS recorded 4.1 miles with 917' of gain.

There is some ice and snow on sections of the trail but it's not slippery enough to require microspikes yet. After the incoming precipitation and another couple of rounds of freeze and thaw, they will be useful if not necessary as these trails tend to become treacherous during the cold months.

I did this loop as a trail run with a SOTA radio activity about 1/3 of the way around. Trail is in great shape with plenty of technical sections for running/hiking. I hiked up the Pine Ridge trail and headed west once on top. There have been many trail work sections with erosion control measures put in since last year. On top, I ran west to the junction with the West End Primitive trail which eventually descends back down and turns east toward the parking lot. Total loop was 4.67mi including the Back Side trail connector. Great trail run/hiking loop in very good condition.

We hiked the Pine Ridge Trail clockwise. From the first viewpoint to the summit, the views and wildflowers were amazing. Descending on the north-facing side of the butte was a completely different experience. We were in the cool forest the whole time. 

It is a fairly easy trail and well worth the effort. I actually enjoyed it more than Steptoe Butte because of the wildflowers.