It was a very couldy day so the view was limited. I will go back again to get the views. I found this to be a very easy climb, with the trail well marked and groomed.
Route Climbed: Main Trail Date Climbed: Numerous times (20?) 1976-2001
Grew up in the shadow of Pilchuck and got to know it like the back of my hand. To my "trail hiker" friends, you may want to go to the "trip report" section for a couple alternate routes to spread your off-trail wings.
Route Climbed: Main Trail Date Climbed: November 11, 2004
Hiked to the top with my 7-year-old sister and about a million other people! Trail was solid ice, very slippery. Saw some people take some hard falls (including myself!). Carried my sister in my backpack on the way down :P
Route Climbed: Pinnacle Lake/Iodine Gulch Date Climbed: September 25, 2004
With no other viable options on a rainy day in May my climbing partner and i climbed this via the regular trail and a bunch of snow traversing. Vowed we'd come back later to do the "other side". We did in September and we were pleasantly surprised at the aesthetics and rigorousness of this route. Only another couple of folks on the route but we figured the ratio of people on the trail route to us to be at least 50 to 1.
Route Climbed: main route Date Climbed: November 8th-9th 2003
We hit the trail by headlamp at around 9pm and summited around 12pm or so. Turned off the lamps as soon as we broke the main tree line to hike by the moon light.
I was able to get by with four-point instep crampons for the blue ice that occured in spades on the main trail. My two buddies had full crampons. We bivied just below the lookout station in one of the snowy clearings.
Up at sun rise to a beautiful clear sky yeilding unobstructed views on all four points of the compass. Plus, our buddy in his one-prop airplane buzzed us as we were packing up!
Quick decent, we were back in town in time for church.
Route Climbed: Normal Trail Route Date Climbed: many many times
This is a fun hike during the summer. Moderate elevation gain and short distance. In early spring, I like to come here with my snowboard for some boarding fun. Also a good place to practice your glacier travel skills in spring (though there's no glacier, one can still find many areas to practice self arrest, crevasse rescue, team rope travel, snow rappel, etc by going off the main trail) while also going for the summit.
Great beginners Mountain climb. Went with my wife to celebrate our anniversary in 1993 and went with her and our son and friends in 2002. The restored lookout is amazing, perched on a pile of rocks at the top. Impossible to get lost on the new trail. The ladder to the top, kind of takes the mountain climbing feel of it, but its still a great climb. Great views at top on a clear day. Not very scenic in the early stages of the hike (clear cut and the old ski slopes).
Despite forecasts for significant rainfall, it was completely dry the entire trip. The view to the west and southwest was relatively clear on the way up, but visibility was very poor at the summit. Ominous cloud cover blocked views of Sheep Mountain, Bedal Peak, and Glacier Peak. However, weather was mild, and snow conditions were perfect. Even though there was little snow fall this past winter, I was surprised by how much snow there still was. Great day for climbing, but not so great for views.
Route Climbed: North Face Route &Trail Date Climbed: Jan. 8, 2003
Another blue-sky day up the mountain, signed the registry at 11:55 AM. Met a fellow named Frank. Stayed up at the Lookout for a few hours until sun began to get low in the west...alone on a mtn. top. Appears to be about 8 feet less snow than last year at around same time of winter.
Wonderful 5 hr hike with leisurely picnic lunch on summit boulders basking in sun with sister and Pete. Great dog-friendly hiike with the added bonus of picking berries on local farms en route back to Seattle.
Route Climbed: Main Summit Trail Date Climbed: August 29th, 2002
Reached lookout tower w/ my 10 month old Bull Terrier Abbey, her 1st summit. Enjoyed many off-trail excursions across smooth granite slopes to plateaus providing exceptional views.
This was one of those two or three crystal clear days the puget sound area receives each year. The trail was easier than expected, and the views much greater than anticipated. A good close up look at Three Fingers, and my first look at Glacier Peak. Seattle was clear as a bell, and even Mt. Rainier looked close, when its almost 150 miles away.
shunra - Jun 2, 2005 8:28 pm
Date Climbed: October 2004Climbed the trail on a frozen afternoon, lots of snow all the way.
Scott Dusek - May 30, 2005 5:22 pm
Route Climbed: Main Trail Date Climbed: June 1997Classic
Jeffrey Zickert - May 20, 2005 6:10 pm
Route Climbed: Main Route Date Climbed: 05-20-05It was a very couldy day so the view was limited. I will go back again to get the views. I found this to be a very easy climb, with the trail well marked and groomed.
jdavies212 - Apr 23, 2005 8:35 am
Route Climbed: Main Trail Date Climbed: Numerous times (20?) 1976-2001Grew up in the shadow of Pilchuck and got to know it like the back of my hand. To my "trail hiker" friends, you may want to go to the "trip report" section for a couple alternate routes to spread your off-trail wings.
Andy Dewey - Feb 3, 2005 4:07 pm
Route Climbed: Main Trail Date Climbed: November 11, 2004Hiked to the top with my 7-year-old sister and about a million other people! Trail was solid ice, very slippery. Saw some people take some hard falls (including myself!). Carried my sister in my backpack on the way down :P
Corey Bigler - Jan 20, 2005 1:40 pm
Route Climbed: Main trail Date Climbed: Several timesTrailhead was only thirty miles from my home the last two summers. Crowded place, but enjoyable.
leftfield - Sep 26, 2004 2:41 pm
Route Climbed: Pinnacle Lake/Iodine Gulch Date Climbed: September 25, 2004With no other viable options on a rainy day in May my climbing partner and i climbed this via the regular trail and a bunch of snow traversing. Vowed we'd come back later to do the "other side". We did in September and we were pleasantly surprised at the aesthetics and rigorousness of this route. Only another couple of folks on the route but we figured the ratio of people on the trail route to us to be at least 50 to 1.
Dundeel - Sep 23, 2004 12:22 am
Route Climbed: Trail Date Climbed: 1971Thick fog on the way up, clearing to beautiful sunshine.
Soup - May 19, 2004 3:30 pm
Route Climbed: main route Date Climbed: November 8th-9th 2003We hit the trail by headlamp at around 9pm and summited around 12pm or so. Turned off the lamps as soon as we broke the main tree line to hike by the moon light.
I was able to get by with four-point instep crampons for the blue ice that occured in spades on the main trail. My two buddies had full crampons. We bivied just below the lookout station in one of the snowy clearings.
Up at sun rise to a beautiful clear sky yeilding unobstructed views on all four points of the compass. Plus, our buddy in his one-prop airplane buzzed us as we were packing up!
Quick decent, we were back in town in time for church.
skook - Apr 19, 2004 2:46 pm
Route Climbed: Main Route Date Climbed: Summer 1998Great day hike, but I think it would be good to go on a sunny day.
esugi - Apr 3, 2004 2:09 pm
Route Climbed: Normal Trail Route Date Climbed: many many timesThis is a fun hike during the summer. Moderate elevation gain and short distance. In early spring, I like to come here with my snowboard for some boarding fun. Also a good place to practice your glacier travel skills in spring (though there's no glacier, one can still find many areas to practice self arrest, crevasse rescue, team rope travel, snow rappel, etc by going off the main trail) while also going for the summit.
derbilly - Feb 24, 2004 5:01 pm
Route Climbed: Main Route Date Climbed: November 1999Windy with low visibilty. We hung out in the lookout a bit before heading down.
jtostenr - Feb 3, 2004 1:24 am
Route Climbed: Main Route Date Climbed: July 7th, 2003This was a fun climb. Cool little lookout cabin at the top. Couldn't see anything but snow though.
donstr - Sep 9, 2003 5:02 pm
Date Climbed: August 2002 & August 1993Great beginners Mountain climb. Went with my wife to celebrate our anniversary in 1993 and went with her and our son and friends in 2002. The restored lookout is amazing, perched on a pile of rocks at the top. Impossible to get lost on the new trail. The ladder to the top, kind of takes the mountain climbing feel of it, but its still a great climb. Great views at top on a clear day. Not very scenic in the early stages of the hike (clear cut and the old ski slopes).
Phil Decker - Aug 7, 2003 7:51 pm
Route Climbed: Main Date Climbed: Many timesNice easy scramble for the day.
Great for early season – beat the rush although it can still be like I5.
paule - Mar 31, 2003 5:36 pm
Date Climbed: Mar 29, 2003Despite forecasts for significant rainfall, it was completely dry the entire trip. The view to the west and southwest was relatively clear on the way up, but visibility was very poor at the summit. Ominous cloud cover blocked views of Sheep Mountain, Bedal Peak, and Glacier Peak. However, weather was mild, and snow conditions were perfect. Even though there was little snow fall this past winter, I was surprised by how much snow there still was. Great day for climbing, but not so great for views.
McPilchuck - Jan 18, 2003 5:41 pm
Route Climbed: North Face Route &Trail Date Climbed: Jan. 8, 2003Another blue-sky day up the mountain, signed the registry at 11:55 AM. Met a fellow named Frank. Stayed up at the Lookout for a few hours until sun began to get low in the west...alone on a mtn. top. Appears to be about 8 feet less snow than last year at around same time of winter.
--------------
Ken J.
(McPilchuck)
in the granite high-wild alpine land . . .
www.alpinequest.com
scottv - Dec 15, 2002 11:01 am
Route Climbed: Main Date Climbed: August 2002Wonderful 5 hr hike with leisurely picnic lunch on summit boulders basking in sun with sister and Pete. Great dog-friendly hiike with the added bonus of picking berries on local farms en route back to Seattle.
JoelDuck - Sep 5, 2002 1:44 pm
Route Climbed: Main Summit Trail Date Climbed: August 29th, 2002Reached lookout tower w/ my 10 month old Bull Terrier Abbey, her 1st summit. Enjoyed many off-trail excursions across smooth granite slopes to plateaus providing exceptional views.
magellan - Jun 29, 2002 10:49 pm
Route Climbed: trail Date Climbed: june, 1997This was one of those two or three crystal clear days the puget sound area receives each year. The trail was easier than expected, and the views much greater than anticipated. A good close up look at Three Fingers, and my first look at Glacier Peak. Seattle was clear as a bell, and even Mt. Rainier looked close, when its almost 150 miles away.