Trail was in perfect condition. Snow started at the first switchback. The afternoon sun softened the snow enough to sink up to the knees. Should be lots of early hiking opprotunities with the lack of snow.

Today my son and I left Ohanapecosh early enough to beat the heat which can really put a damper on this hike. The trail gains 3400+ feet in 4.2 miles so its a good workout and you need to carry your own water as there isn't any on the trail to be found. The views of the Mountain on a clear day are absolutely outstanding. We lucked out today as the lookout was open for a brief time by a trail crew and it was fun to capture a little of the flavor of being inside of a lookout that was once lonely and isolated but blessed with unbelievable views. We only met four other hikers on the trail so you can avoid crowds by hitting this trail. Start early as a lot of this hike is exposed to the sun. Dean

Trail starts on East Side highway (Cayuse Pass), elevation 2400’. Trail to the peak is 4.2 miles with a 3430’ elevation gain. Trail is in good shape, climbs steadily. At about 1 ½ miles, 3500’ it starts to break out of the trees. From here on it is mostly on an open south slope. At about 2 ½ miles, 4400’ it comes around to the south west with a nice view of Mt. Rainier. I ran into snow about at 4600’ and lost the trail. I went on up to a nice, partially snow free, nob at about 4800’, enjoyed the view and turned around at that point. Due to the open south slope this is a nice semi-early season hike.

Trail in excellent condition with a few easy to navigate snow patches until 5000 ft shortly after crossing a creek the trail disappears in the snow. Continue angling up the west side of the ridge in a northerly direction and the trail re-emerges from the snow at about the 5200 ft level. There are several other large snow patches to navigate, but all of these have obvious treads across them. Much of the summit still snow covered except for a large grassy area near the lookout tower. One campsite was snow free. The view is spectacular.

We left Seattle on a foggy Saturday morning and headed for Hwy 123 near MRNP. After a bit of confusion regarding the meeting location, we finally met up with the rest of our group and led them up the trail to Shriner Peak under a big blue sky. This hike is long and brutal if you go on a hot, sunny day like we did, however, the views are worth it. We walked past a bear that was grazing on a tree near the trail. There were many wildflowers beginning at about the mid-way point. Bugs were only a slight problem. The view of Mt. Rainier is incredible from the top of Shriner and well worth the effort. The highlight of the day for me was a small stream just before the final switchbacks to the summit. There is nothing like dipping your cap in cold water and pouring it over your head on a hot day. Heavenly!