[Tom]

I hadn't been up to Mt. Pilchuck in several years so I decided to climb it on Saturday via the east route described in the 75 Scrambles book.  The first mile up to Pinnacle Lake was a bit muddy with plenty of snow patches.  Upon attaining the ridge at 3400' there was solid snow all the way to Pinnacle lake at 3800' which is just starting to thaw.  The hike up the steep gully to the Bathtub plateau was rewarded by a refreshingly cool breeze swept down from above.  About halfway up I was overtaken by a young couple.  I was most impressed by the young lady who kicked steps all the way to the top without as much as dropping a beat - I was tempted to ask if she might have an older sister .  The rest of the way up was pretty straight forward, though near the end instead of hanging a left and ascending the steep but non-technical gully the summit, I made the mistake of following tracks right which required backtracking up the steep northern slopes just below the lookout and ascending exposed rock to the summit (definitely not recommended).

For those looking to avoid the crowds, the eastern route offers plenty of solitude, at the cost of being extremely steep in sections and twice the workout.  Either way, the hordes await you up top.