We picked a delightful, cool, sunny fall weekday to do this hike. This is an annual hike for me and i almost missed it this year. Even though the road is rough going, the hike was as amazing as ever... We arrived at the trail head about 9:30, with very few cars. Gentle ups and downs to the lake. No swim this year as the temp was too cool. Steady, but doable  up to the lookout. The mountain was partly out and partly covered this time. But views were spectacular. Very few people and no bugs... Rain started just as we got back to the car! Can't wait to do it again next year. 

Road: There's been a lot of discussion of road conditions, and I'm including pictures so folks can make their own assessments. I tried to capture the worst patches of potholes. Some folks might wonder from the pictures what the fuss is about: we've all been on rough forest roads to get to trailheads. What's can't be shown in photos is that the road is like this for over 11 miles. Driving at 20mph, you get to enjoy the bumps for 30-40 minutes. It's very tedious, but it shouldn't dissuade you from doing this hike (we did just fine in a low-clearance sedan).

I do urge caution going around bends. We saw one car that had apparently lost control going around a bend and had a close call with a cliff. Hoping no one was injured!

Trail: Trail was gorgeous and well maintained. It was often wide enough for groups to pass each other without pulling off. There weren't too many rough patches, but there were some large steps up. The trails around Eunice lake were muddy with false trails spurring off from people trying to get around the mud. 

Facilities: There are two well stocked vault toilets at the Mowich Lake campground. 

Camping: We stayed the night at Mowich lake campground, which was really pleasant. The sky was exceptionally clear and we got great skies for stargazing.

For the previous reporter, a ranger came by around 8pm asking if anyone had seen an injured hiker. We said we hadn't. Also hoping that person is alright. 

Preface: This was the oddest trip! Read to trip.

Road: If it hasn't already been said, Yikes! I've never seen Mowich Lake road as bad as it was today. I wouldn't recommend anything but a junk car you plan to get rid of in a month driving on that. 

Entrance: We were met by a park ranger at Mowich Lake on foot who immediately asked for our pass. When I showed my geezer pass, he softened a bit and asked me to put it on my dash.

Bathrooms: Were super clean smelling for pit toilets.

General Trail: Pretty fall colors contrast with the blues of Mowich Lake. The trail is rough, rocky with a few slippery roots. 

Weather: Normally you have nice views of Tahoma but the day started with fog and layers of clouds lifting and pushing up which obscured the mountain, very beautiful.

Odd Trip: Reaching Eunice Lake we stopped for a snack and explored a bit along the ridge prior to the short climb to Tolmie Peak. At the fire lookout around 1:30, we kept hearing a repeated male voice yelling and then gunshots, three in a row. The yelling continued. At first we thought it was a group along Evan's Creek having a party but determining the voice was single and it didn't move we started to wonder whether it was a hurt hiker around Paul Peak trail head. Around 2:00 pm we could distinctly hear, "Help, I Need Help, Help." Repeatedly. We were too far out at least (4 miles) to help right away so decided to find someone with a cell signal at the lookout that could call 911. Of the eight of us at the lookout we all agreed we heard the same distressed hiker call out in the same general vicinity. The 911 call did make it through.

At some point we heard another male voice call down, still very far away from each other, "Do you need help?" The hiker seemed to quickly response again from the same area, not quite audible.

We returned to Mowich Lake around 4 pm and couldn't find a ranger but saw a park vehicle. We headed to the patrol cabin that was locked up. We looked around the campground for a ranger.

Checking at Paul Peak for any cars still in the parking area there was no one so we assumed help was received. 

Still a magical day in the clouds. If anyone reads this and knows what happened, let us know. We are still wondering.

7.75 miles 1700' gain

Biggest thing to note (as others have): the road in is rough! 16 miles of poorly-maintained gravel. We had a low-clearance vehicle and made it fine but you'll need to crawl through some stretches. On sunny days polarized sunglasses are highly recommended to help see the road as you alternate from bright sun to deep shade. Pack your patience!

Trail was in great shape, but surprisingly busy for a school-year Tuesday. We started at Mowich Lake campground to take advantage of the pit toilets. Trail is well-marked where to go at the Ipsut Creek intersection. Stopped at Eunice Lake for lunch and a dip (chilly!), then continued on to the fire tower. Absolutely stunning view! This is one of the best short hikes in the area and worth the rough road to access.

Great day hike. Went with a group of 5 and began at
9:30am. Trail was moderately busy and got fairly steep near the peak. Took 2.5 hours to reach top while making stops at various points including Eunice Lake. Summit was windy but views of Rainier and the lake were stunning. Clouds gathered fairly quickly while at the fire lookout but still stayed for about an hour. Took another 1.25 hours back to the trailhead and got back at 1:45pm. Water at the two lakes were very cold but saw a couple people jump in still. Road to the trailhead is very long with lots of potholes, would not recommend a low car. Drive in and out starting at the gravel part of the road took 45mins on its own. Overall good hike and would recommend.