Park in the small parking lot shortly after turning right for Engadine Lodge. Follow an old logging road until you reach Commonwealth creek. Here the trail becomes narrower as it follows the flow of the creek up the valley. Shortly you emerge into the open valley with Mount Birdwood immediately visible at the valley head. Pass below large avalanche slopes though patches of trees to reach the head of the pass. Here the trail steeply ascends the avalanche slope, watch for signs of mountain goats on the slopes of Birdwood to your left. Reach the pass above and take in the first view of Mount Smutwood ahead over the first of 2 lakes. Contour the loose rock slope to the south of the lake gaining elevation to the pass above the second lake. Here the trail follows the ridge line up to a false summit then on to the summit proper. The final 50m to the top involves some class 3 scrambling with significant exposure.
