Trip report by Vicki
Sunday, Steve and I hiked to the lookout on Mt. Pilchuk. It was fun, although we got off the trail by accident near the top, and Steve took me this rather difficult way, which meant scaling large rocks. Steve has an easier time scaling large boulders than I do, my short legs sometimes just can't go straight up to footholds where his do! I almost got stuck at one point; in full view of the lookout, would you believe!
I am glad I made it; the view was spectacular. We could see Mt Baker, Glacier Peak, Mt Rainer, some of Mt Shuksan and Three Fingers. Also the Olympics, the Sound, several lakes, and downtown Seattle.
The only bad thing was that there were lots of people up there. Including a large group of children, probably ages 10 to 15 or so, who had come up on some sort of field trip. And I was a little wobbly from the last boulder scramble to the top. Ironically, when we got to the lookout, we could see the relatively easy trail coming up the other side with a nice ladder to climb to the lookout. Oh well!
The climb down was a bit grueling on the knees; I don't usually have trouble with my knees, but by 3/4 of the way down I was really starting to feel the pressure on them. But, it was fun.
Stats: 3 miles, 2200' elevation gain.
Getting there: Pilchuk trailhead as described in a prior trip report.
Note: This is backcountry wilderness travel. Any trail can become very dangerous in winter conditions. You are responsible for informing yourself of the hazards and taking the necessary precautions. Please read Terms of Use.