The trail was in great condition, better than my legs! This is a challenging but rewarding hike. The views were perfect with very prominent and clear shots of McClelland Butte, Mount Kent and Duke of Kent peaks at the beginning part of the hike and when the trail splits to Bandera vs. Mason Lake, Mount Rainier becomes the main attraction! The trail steepens considerably at this point and feels a lot more like Mailbox Peak. The beargrass is now out, along with pink heather, creating great photo opportunities. This is one of my favorite Hikes. The. Route to The real summit beyond Little Bandera requires some route finding. I was surprised that there was still a snow filed to cross on the backside of the ridge. There are options to hike along the I-90 side of the ridge which I did on the return or the backside which I did on the ascent. The summit offers wonderful views of Mason Lake, Mount Defiance, Webb Mountain, Mount Rainier, Mount Roosevelt, Kaleetan Peak, Chair Peak and Chimney Rock along with a number of less prominent peaks. Don’t forget to sign the summit register on top! There are not a lot of entries!!