Arrived at 8 am and there were many open spaces in the parking lot. The trail is in great shape, with lots of fall foliage in the upper meadows and in the gullies. There are ripe berries in the upper meadows, though they are a bit past their prime. We took the winter trail which approaches the lookout from the east. The final climb had a bit of packed down snow and ice. We brought spikes but didn’t use them. One thing to note is that there are some social trails and many people seem to have cut the switchbacks. Be sure to stay on the obvious trail to avoid making new trail.
It was a bit windy and chilly near the top so I’d definitely recommend being ready with a heavier jacket or windbreaker for the final section.
It took us 2 hours 38 minutes to get to the lookout, and we were back at the car around 1:15 pm. Saw lots of people heading up, so we were glad we started early.
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