What a great hike! I’ve tried doing this hike from Ed’s but that was when the road was absolutely horrendous and I had to turn around before getting to the trailhead.

But the hike from Grouse Vista trailhead was great. The first half mile or so with all of the rocks (assuming put there to keep the trail from washing out) was a little treacherous with a dog that pulls non-stop. Same on the way down—so if you have a dog that’s a mega puller, I’d strongly advise a trekking pole for some added stability. The fall colors were really coming out, and it made for a really beautiful day on trail.

Went up Grouse Vista, which was clear, just rocky, went down 180C connector trail (easy to miss, no sign, but at a larger juntion) to the sturgeon trail. lots of downed trees in there. Hiked/scrambled up sturgeon rock - not much of a trail at times, but pretty with fun exposure... the way down sturgeon trail is steep but not as rocky as Grouse Vista. A small spring is running down the trail for a bit. Sturgeon trail connected to Tarbell Trail which I took back to parking lot to complete loop. Bear grass is past peak, but other flowers are popping. Some of the prettiest parts were on the Tarbell Trail for flowers. Recommend pants for Tarbell, it was very brushy. Several water spots along Tarbell as well. Definitely recommend the counterclockwise loop I did over just the out and back. roughly 8.7mi.

Made it to trailhead fine in Hyundai Elantra. Long gravel road, only a few smaller potholes though.

A three hour drive had us arrive just before 0800 this morning. The lot already had quite a few cars, but still multiple parking spaces open. We started at Grouse Vista and followed the directions WTA provided.

The toilet was unlocked, but pretty disgusting - poop everywhere. However, a sign did say that it is not maintained regularly. There was a lot of TP though. 

The trail never really felt crowded on the way up. The beargass is definitely on its way out, especially in the lower elevation areas of the trail. On the last stretch to the summit, the beargass is still going pretty strong. All of the other wildflowers are popping right now! 

The trail is fairly well graded, not too steep other than the first 0.5 miles or so. Bugs were kind of annoying at the summit, but luckily no bites. Views of Rainier, Adams, Hood, Jefferson and Helens dominated the blue sky. Occasional rolling clouds made for a dramatic landscape with the green hills below. We hung out at the summit for almost an hour before headed down.

On the way down there were lots of other hikers and dogs. It took us just over 3 hours, with 2200' gain and 6.5 miles RT. Such a stunning hike.

Left Portland at 1 AM in order summit Silver Star for sunrise. Did not regret the decision. The complete solitude at sunrise was lovely, the wildflowers and gorgeous surrounding landscape even more so.

Beargrass galore!!

We had been wanting to do this one when the beargrass is in full bloom and we were not disappointed.

We started driving from Seattle at 10:30pm and with a small restroom break on the way, we reached the trailhead by 2:30p. Sunrise was at 5:15a, so we decided to take a short nap. We started hiking at 3:15a. 

The bugs were not bad but they were getting attracted to our headlamps. So, I switched it off and used the phone flashlight. I was content once I did that :) The first half mile is the steepest section of trail. 

About a mile and half into the trail, on your right is another trail to the Pyramid rock. We went there in the hopes of seeing the sunrise, beargrass and Mt. Hood. We got to see some beargrass and some other wildflowers like Indian paintbrush. After seeing the sunrise, we proceeded towards the Silver Star summit. Once you are at the summit sign, take the trail on your right. Thats where all the beargrass bloom is. At the summit, you can see Rainier, Helens, Adams, Hood and Jefferson. What a stunning view! We spent a couple hours at the summit soaking in all the glory! We were back at the TH by 11:45a. My strava stats were 8.47miles and 2382ft of elevation gain!

Most of the trail is rocky and shaded. Going up was okay on the rocky trail but coming down definitely slowed us down. Highly recommend poles!

Fun Fact:  Beargrass - Despite its name, bears don't actually eat it for food, though they do use its leaves to line their dens during hibernation. Beargrass is also not a grass, but a lily, and is used by humans for basket weaving and other crafts.