A 4 mile hike round trip on a cloudless day and three volcanoes to view. I chose the west side approach.
The first half mile is easy and the tread compacted and well worn. The second half mile ascends a thin ridge heading to the summit at mile 1. In some areas of this ascent the tread is loose and roots contribute to the challenge. Hiking poles are recommended - especially descending. The half way point is the first reward with a commanding view north at 3570' elevation. You are now at the top of a cirque with the tarn as your goal. The descending trail starts at the arête and makes a series of switchbacks but always moving across and down the cirque clockwise. The trail for this rambler ended at the lake outlet. A perfect alpine lake complete with brook trout. Campsites are available. The trail continues on but I returned the same way.
WTA logged all the blowdowns in 2017. Beginning at the west trailhead the crew worked their way down to the east trailhead crosscutting massive log.
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