7/10, Saturday, I walked to an I-5 exit for a pick up at 5:45am. The reason for the early start is to get to the lookout early to secure the night: it's first come first serve. Just in case, we stopped at Marblemount ranger station (open 7am-4pm) for a permit at Hidden Lake, which took ~45 minutes. Picked up a bear canister and some blue bags (just plastic bag with 2 twines, no more litter or wood chip). When I saw Mi, the other passenger in the car, my heart sank. The young lady is ~50lb overweight, wearing a peach colored dress and sweat pants. Her luggage includes a heavy 2p tent, and a giant Colman sleeping bag, a battery powered fan, and a cane (with a curve handle)! She has done a few backpacking trips, and was eager to try this one. She insisted that I should go ahead to the lookout without waiting for her. We arrived at the TH ~9:30, after ~4 miles of bad road (easy for M's Landcruiser). ~7 cars in the parking lot, one is a regular sedan!
Mi headed out with her giant load, cane in hand, while the driver/organizer M and I struggled to strap the bear can on his pack. The trail starts in the forest, fairly gentle first, with many creek crossings. Nothing big, but it gets muddy. Soon it breaks out of the trees. The first view of the valley is enticing. I stopped in the shade to wait for my group, and doll out sunscreen (neither of them brought any). 
There's a big landslide where the trail crosses the south fork Sibley Creek, about 1 mile from TH. Minor confusion here. Once on the other side, the trail zigzags up a flowering open slope, in the full sun. A very warm day. Rosy spiraea, thistle, corn lily and velarian, some columbine and paintbrush. The view gets better as you get higher.
About another mile, the trail starts traversing towards rocky slopes, with snow patches. At times, I lost the trail, and found it again quickly. Heathers, both white and pink are blooming, some partridge foot.
About 12:20, I was at the saddle, where you can finally see the lake with floating ice. View is grand already. The pink circle on the photo is where the lookout is. There's a sign of park boundary (North Cascade N.P.).
The trail now goes over the saddle. There's actually a decent bootpath up to the lookout. Lots of heathers.
The very top are some jumbo of boulders. Easy scramble, the rocks are stable and surface is grippy.
I asked if the lookout was taken. Two boys (US Navy) said that they took the bed, but we are welcome to sleep on the floor. So after taking a few photos, I hid in the shade and took my book out. A ranger came and went, stopped a drone. Every once awhile, I'd walked to the edge and looked down the saddle to check if my group was there. Also inquired everyone if they've seen them. Another group of 3 backpackers arrived, and they settled into the lookout. There's cell signal here. I txt-ed M, but no response. Eventually (~2.5 hours later), with the navy boy's binocular, I spotted the peach dress. Took my pack and hiked down. Needed to fill water anyway: no water or snow above the saddle.
Met M and Mi below the saddle. Took another break at the saddle. We decided to camp a few minutes below next to a small creek formed by melting snow. I actually like it here better than cramming into the little lookout. Running water is essential. M brought a hammock instead of tent. No big trees to tie a hammock here. He stretched his hammock and bug net using hiking poles, using his Dyneema tarp as ground sheet. There's also cell signal here. Amazingly, not much bugs here.
After pitching my tent, washed up, then, took my ice-axe and microspikes and headed over towards Hidden Lake. From the saddle down, there's no footprint. Steep at first, and then leveled out to a heather plateau. I glissaded down a short stretch. Boulders sticking out of the snow. There are two nice camp sites overlooking the lake, one next to a small creek now (formed by melting snow). Close by is a steep track down with rock and loose gravel. I decided not to venture farther, since I was alone. Couldn't really see how to get to the other side of the lake, to reach the few blue tarns there. Came back up via a slightly different route.
Returned to the camp for dinner. I didn't bother to bring a stove, just ate a sandwich. M was fiddling with his clothes. Mi went back to the saddle to wait for sunset. I decided to climb Hidden Lake Peak. In a straight line, it's only half a mile. But too me awhile, maybe a full hour. There is a clear boot path first, but quickly disappeared. Saw cairn here and there, and then nothing. Just keep to the ridge. Big boulders, fairly grippy. Not difficult, but requires care. 
You can see the tiny lookout from here, and someone was flying a noisy drone. Great view, time for sunset. I actually climbed onto this triangle rock, the high point. I headed down before the sun actually set. Don't want to scramble on rocks in the dark. Instead of retrace my steps, I headed downhill, which seems easier. But took about the same time. I got back to the camp well past 9pm.
Slept well, even though there was ice forming on the little pond the next morning. I took a silk liner this time. Woke up around 3:20am, the sky was already getting light, ruined the night sky. Too bad. M said that the star was brilliant.
7/11, Sunday. Woke up just past 5am. Quickly headed out to the saddle to watch sunrise. Back to the camp for breakfast. M brewed coffee, with proper cream (instead of powder). Mi cooked breakfast with a 1lb gas canister (she still had 3 Mountain House freeze-dried packs). My breakfast was simple: mix of breakfast cereal, nuts and dried apricots.
We packed out ~8am. This time, I strapped the bear can (with everyone's garbage) on my pack. 3 of us hiked out more or less together. The bear can fell off my pack soon enough, that ended stuffing it inside my pack, thus unable to close to top. At least it was so jammed that nothing would fall out. Once back on the zigzag of the flowering slope, we hiked ahead without waiting, because of bugs. I glissade a bit on the snow (not steep enough to pick up much speed), and rejoined the trail, without getting ahead of M. I waited after the big land slide for Mi. Took my book out and socks off. 10 pages later. Mi showed up with her sleeping bag in hand. She wasn't happy that we didn't wait for her earlier. I strapped her sleeping bag on my backpack, and headed to the car. Ate food I had left in the car, while waiting for her in sandals. All weeekend, I didn't see or hear marmott. Odd.
M. dropped Mi off by her building. It turns out she lives just 2 blocks from me. Easy. Still early enough to clean up all my gear. A beautiful and relaxing weekend. Worth a repeat.
