Trailhead: Take 1-90 east from Seattle to exit 47. Take a left (north). Cross highway, go left (west). Trailhead is 0.5 miles ahead at the end of the road. Trailhead is shared with Pratt Lake trailhead.

The Pratt Lake Trailhead parking lot was full when I arrived at 8:45AM. The first mile of wide trail meanders gently through cool forest to a junction near a small creek, then turns right and starts a challenging grind up a series of switchbacks. Forest gives way at about two miles from the trailhead to views down the valley, of jumbled slabs of rock, and of lush carpets of grass and wildflowers. I passed Jeana who was hiking with the Federal Way Chapter of a Korean Hiking Club. She was beat, but still plodding along. The trail opens to views of a sea of peaks to the south, east, and west. The remainder of the trail winds up through increasingly open and pleasant meadows, crossing a few small creeks cascading down avalanche-carved gullies until all of the upper snow has melted. Carry at least 3 quarts of water each after mid July. At the two hour mark I was about to make the switchback at the farthest point east on the trail. I stopped here for my first drink. At this point the little black flies were becoming unbearable. Jeana passed me here and we would leap frogged our way eventually to the summit. Splashes of alpine flowers, beargrass, heather, and thistle carpet the mountain's upper slopes in early summer, while blueberries abound in the fall. A final series of steep switchbacks delivers hikers to the summit ridge and the just rewards for the effort. From the summit, elevation 5,629 feet, you'll find 360-degree views of snowy peaks including the massive Mount Rainier and the glacier-carved peaks of the Alpine Lakes wilderness, verdant green valleys, and sparkling blue lakes. For even better views and a close-up look inside a classic Cascade fire lookout, climb the summit fire lookout tower. If you're lucky, you'll catch a summer volunteer on duty to let you take a peek inside. I quickly doned a long sleeve shirt and attached the pant legs to my shorts the thwart the bugs. On the west side of the lookout I found a memorial rock bench semi hidden behind a tree. I shared my lunch with a chipmunk.