The thing to know about this hike is you gain around 500 ft elevation in the first 2.5+ miles, and the rest is gained in the last 1/1.5 miles, on the switchbacks along the open slope, and it's grueling, hot, and dusty.
After you pass the Jungle Creek trail junction and until you reach the switchbacks on the open slope, the trail is largely engulfed by person-height brush, so there aren't any views. At one point where the brush gets exceptionally thick and the trail is kissing the creek, the bugs are a major annoyance, but that doesn't last long, fortunately. The trail is obvious the whole way, but it's thick with soft dust and lots of rocks, so my feet were slipping often, which started making me cranky after a few miles. I used my trekking poles the entire time, so that was helpful.
It is worth noting that the trail is open to motor bikes, but I encountered a couple who drove slowly past me and the first one told me there was one more behind him, so quite courteous. I hiked this on a slightly overcast Saturday, and the bikers were the only other folks I encountered on the trail, so it really is a "trail less traveled" as Craig Romano would say. I also started out well after the early birds, so may have missed whoever else chose this hike that day.
By the time I reached the summit, the clouds had largely cleared and it was gorgeous. The summit has amazing views of the Teanaways, and Mt Stuart is front and center to the right as you reach the top. I think there are a few campsites up there (according to my Green Trails map), and it would make a great overnight (I can only imagine the view of the Milky Way), but hauling my overnight bag up that last steep mile would be hard work. Sadly, I'm not in the shape I used to be.
The flowers are on the post-bloom side of the summer, but I still saw quite a few, they were just scattered along the route. They included: Solomon's seal, pipsissewa (one of my favorites that I've only ever seen on the east side of the Cascades), ocean spray, meadow parsley, pearly everlasting (not positively IDed, though), red and orange paintbrush, fireweed, purple thistle, penstemon, alpine aster, and scarlet gilia.
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