What a beautiful day in the North Cascades! Probably one of my new favorites in this area, such a stunning hike.
Road: so much better than last year! There's a few potholes but easily avoided and I got my Honda Fit up to the trailhead just fine.
Trailhead: was full by 8 am but there was still plenty of places to park outside of the main parking area. There is a bathroom and was well stocked when I was there.
Trail: Very well maintained, no big obstacles or tricky terrain. The first 3-4 miles is a very gentle uphill but the last 1-2 miles it can get fairly steep. Very exposed to the sun so I was glad to have my hat and sun hoodie on. Lots of blooming wildflowers and butterflies all around. The berries are starting to get ripe too, some are still a little tart but there's LOADs of them up on the higher slopes of the peak. My gps ended up recording 11 miles round trip but it wasn't crazy hard or anything, just felt a bit long walking back out the last few miles.
Campsites: I wasn't backpacking on this trip but there are lots of available spots to do so. Hannegan camp has nice access to a water source, but not much of a view. There's loads of campsites up near the summit and a couple along some of the false summits along the way. It would be such an amazing place to stargaze, I'll be back to do it someday for sure.
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