Mt Washington - Owl Hike Spot

Last week I was setting up a hiking trip with a friend; we were trying to find a destination that was nearby and relatively short, as we had time constraints. After looking around a bit, we decided on doing the Mt. Washington - Owl Hike Spot. It's located within an hour of Seattle, 4 miles round trip, 1600 feet of elevation gain, and promised "grand views" as one description put it. Another description from a hiker's blog also said the destination had "an amazing view". It certainly sounded promising!

When hiking, I enjoy a hike with some sort of destination that inspires your jaw to drop... or at least makes your jaw think about dropping. Something with an amazing view of the lands below, an amazing waterfall, a lake nestled between peaks, etc etc.
So, it sounded like we had our hike. Well, after we did the hike... I must say, it fell a bit more on the lackluster side of things. I'd hardly say the view was "amazing" or "grand". It was so un-inspiring that when we got to the spot, we questioned whether that really was the destination or not... and hiked another half mile up the trail; only to find out that it was, indeed, the destination.

At 1600 feet elevation gain over 2 miles, the grade of the trail is similar to Mt. Si (which is 3200 feet over 4 miles). The hike switches back and forth along the face of Mt. Washington, which offers some interesting rock cliffs and a shallow cave or two... popular with rock climbers. It's close proximity to I-90 means you're constantly hearing the roar of cars and trucks passing down below. The roar of the cars doesn't get drowned out by the trees and distance until after you pass the Owl Hike Spot. It's definitely not an escape into nature. While it was an enjoyable hike, due to the company I had... my recommendation would be to go elsewhere.