Beautiful clear day that provided stunning 360 degree views. Lots of trees across the trail, often the log is too large and grade too steep to climb over so there are quite a few cuts up the slope to navigate around them.

The lake along the way is fairly murky with lots of debris, would bringing sufficient water rather than relying on a refill there.

On our way up, we happened across a man-made campfire that was not fully put out. There was dirt across it but it was still heavily smoking with substantial dry kindling nearby. Thankfully, it was close to the lake so we walked back and forth to collect and dump 10 liters of water onto it. The water boiled immediately upon contact. We checked back on our way down and found some glowing embers off to one side. Thankfully we were able to move the still damp dirt from our prior water adventure over and fully extiguished it. Really illustrates how important it is to follow a burn ban when one is in place. Our lovely day hike could have turned dramatically if this fire had caught and spread.

Additionally, sad to note large amounts of trash near the boulder field including human feces on the trail near there. Disappointing for sure.

Other than that, it was a wonderful day with blooming wildflowers, lots of blueberries near the lake, and only one tiny section of snow.

Road is great. I drove a 88’ Camry up it just fine. Lots of trees down after the lake. They end before the meadow, march to the saddle. Lots of flowers. The ridge is amazing. Don’t stop at the saddle. Continue a bit further and break at the ridge. It’s pretty straightforward hiking with some good exposure. The ‘crux’ head wall part looks daunting until you’re on it. It’s not to bad. If it gets to steep you’re most likely off route. 

Da Klagwats! It was a perfect day for a climb. The road up to the trailhead was overgrown but not heavily rutted. My vehicle has less than 5 inches of clearance and it was okay as long as I took it slow. There were a few larger potholes to navigate. It is a narrow single lane road with only one turnout early on before you reach the trailhead. Parking consists of two nearby turnouts that can collectively hold about four cars. We arrived at the trailhead at about 7:40 and found only one other car.

The lower part of the trail was in decent shape, with relatively few impediments.  The trail started to get messier after the second or third switchback. The vast majority of the obstacles were in the switchbacks above Lake Metam. Most of  the downed trees were reasonably navigable and the rest could be bypassed with some effort. 

The path up to Stujack Pass is steep but easy to follow. This is the most strenuous part of the route and it gains elevation quickly. The wildflowers were in bloom from this point on and there were plenty of noisy marmots and pikas to greet us. We reached the top and transitioned onto the ridge line at about 10:40.

At this point, above 6,000 feet, there was still some snow along the route. We each probably took twenty steps total in the snow on the whole mountain. There were no areas that required traversing steep snow. Many if not all areas could have been avoided entirely if it had been easier to do so and I expect will be completely melted within days. The remaining snow was extremely soft and slippery in the afternoon sun on the way down. If you choose to cross it then, proceed accordingly.

The only particularly consequential area starts at the transition from the ridge path to the scrambling portion. The path down has loose rock underfoot and you immediately begin an easy scramble. The slope is moderate and there are solid handholds. Still, be deliberate as rotten rock is not uncommon. There is one area at the end of the first switchback of the scrambling route that presents a bit of exposure. It was not troubling in good conditions but the section could be problematic if it was wet.

The last 400 or so vertical feet up to the summit was straightforward. We topped out at 11:50. It was a near bluebird day and every direction held something awe inspiring. One of the finest vantage points in the North Cascades. The relief over the valley presented an almost surreal perspective of the mountain loop area. 

The path was easier to see and follow from above and the descent went smoothly. Starting earlier would likely have been a good plan, as the afternoon sun in the exposed sections was intense. Come prepared, as we each went through 4+ liters of water in total. We made it back to the car at about 15:40.

Total distance was 10.54 miles and the elevation gain was  5105 feet. There was conflicting data between my watch and my Gaia recording, so I went with the lower totals. Distance and elevation gain could be somewhat more. Total time was precisely 8 hours. Other hikers on trail: 1. AT&T service on most of the trail once you gain a bit of elevation. 

Mount Pugh was on my list for years and I finally decided to check it out with my two other friends. We got to the trailhead at 0730. It is pretty remote trail, parking lot can basically fit only 1-2 vehicles on the side of the road, no bathrooms. As mentioned previously, bunch of trees to cross during first 4 miles. We brough axes and spikes, did not use them because snowfields were pretty small and very steep and snow did not appear safe to get on so we choose to bushwack to the right. I was very thankful for offline maps as it made much easier to navigate when we could not see a trail. When you finally get to the open ridge with view of the mountain, you realize that mountain looks somewhat intimidating for faint-hearted. One steep section to climb down at the beginning of the ridge walk but after that it was not bad all. We were the only party on the trail today, shared summit views with local marmot. Clouds came and left, and we were thankful to get glimpses of surrounding peaks of North Cascades. 
No drinking water past lake, so plan accordingly. One of my friends ended up with tick on her neck so watch out for those.
Alltrails millage was way off, my garmin clocked in 12.5 miles RT. 

Fantastic hike as always. There are some down trees on the trail but not so many that it got annoying. If you go in the first half of July, bring ice axes and microspikes for the snow fields.