The road to the trailhead has several sections with potholes and rough rocks. We got there around 11:30 am and found one of the last parking spots, I’m sure from someone who had already hiked and left.

The trail is in great shape. The wildflowers still abundant but past their peak. Views were spectacular as usual- what is great about this hike is that there are views the whole way.

We stopped at a new ice cream shop in Sedro-Woolley right on Rte 20 next to the hospital on our way home. Recommend giving it a try- Smugglers Sisters.

First time up and it won't be my last.  Sure the road is a bit rough.  Just slow down, it's fine.  Beats starting at river level!  Hit the trail at 8:30. Just a few cars in the lot.  Early was great because the main climb was all in the shadow of the Mountain.  Making it cooler and just a few bugs offering to carry bits of me up the hill.  The flowers are great, even a few late season avalanche lilies on the back side.  A little bit of snow before the final accent.  Parking lot was full when I came back down at noon

This nice short hike gives you the option of reaching the summit for views of the surrounding mountain ranges, going down to Sauk Lake or finding a comfortable resting place between the two or nearby. Switchbacks are your means of transportation to get you where you want to go. 

If you take the Sauk Mountain road to get to the trailhead, the road isn't bad. There are sections of deep potholes mostly in the beginning of the road. The finale curve to the trailhead that many people worry about is quite doable if driving a high clearance vehicle. I find the bigger obstacle past this curve is not finding a place to park. The parking lot isn't very big. 

I like hiking this trail in the early morning as the daylight is softer and not as harsh as the afternoon sun. Whatever time you go the views and flowers are very pretty this time of year. The marmot population seems larger to me since the last time I was here. Chances of seeing one is high and they are quite vocal, albeit a little bit shy. 

This trail reliably offers "eye candy" to those who want a short hike (4+ miles depending on your destination) that includes a good level of physical activity. The only thing I found missing today were more butterflies. Birds were sparse too. But what I saw and enjoyed was all I needed today. 

What a wonderful hike! There are a LOT of switchbacks, but honestly it didn't seem too bad. After the trail turns north there is still some snow. We didn't need Yaktrax but poles were helpful. The views from the top were stellar. A peakfinder app is very helpful! Lots of pretty wildflowers too. Most of the hike is exposed and hot, so be sure to bring lots of water. This hike really gives you a lot of bang for your buck.

The road was a bit rough, but in my opinion it's one of the better trailhead roads. There are random potholes all along the way, but if you go slowly it shouldn't be a problem. The last push to the parking area is pretty rough though, lots of sharp rocks. My Subaru did just fine and there were sedans in the lot, but as others have said you can park before that last stretch and walk up. 

Got to the trailhead around 6am and was the only person there. The road up is actually in really good condition with few potholes up until the last quarter mile or so to the trailhead. There are spots to park prior to that if you don't have a high clearance vehicle. The switchbacks gain elevation steadily and I imagine on a clear day you'd have amazing views the whole way up. Even though it was foggy and visibility was poor it was still a beautiful hike through all of the wildflowers. Once you reach the top of the switchbacks you start to hit some snow fields. I made it to the summit although in hindsight it was not very safe and I probably should have turned around once I hit the snow. There were a few short sketchy sections in particular along the ridge on the way to the top. The path through those sections was narrow and the snow had partially melted around the trail and some large rocks forming bridges. I tried to avoid one of these sections on the way down by walking along the gravel above it (bad idea, its a lot steeper than it appears in the pics) and ended up slipping since the gravel gave way underneath me, which could have been very very bad if I was closer to the edge. Just need to be very very careful or ideally wait a few more weeks for it to melt out.