Update to the Ira Spring Trail: About 0.5mi past the trailhead, the river crossing is VERY sketchy. The river/waterfall is currently at full steam and was all but uncrossable until we crudely laid some logs across it. Upon our return after a very warm day, the river was even higher and the log bridge was taken out. We laid some more logs from what we found but I would be surprised if it lasted another day.

In Short: Use caution, with the river this high, there is a significant chance to lose footing on a crude log/stick crossing and the consequences could be devastating with the river drop/waterfall mere feet from the crossing.

My original plan was to go up Mt Defiance (for Cinco de-Fiance) but I ended up on Bandera instead. The road into the trailhead was very smooth and I was the third car in the lot. Snow free trail all the way to where the switchbacks begin around 3500 ft. Then some patchy snow, and solid snow where the trail breaks out of the trees.

Here is where my plan changed. I could see a lot of snow on Defiance, but the rib leading to the ridge on Bandera was nearly snow free! I kicked steps straight up in surprisingly good snow and reached the Mason Lake trail junction. From here up to the ridge top was pretty much snow free. I hit solid snow again on the ridge but it had a well established boot path and minimal postholing, though I had an early start.

I continued up the ridge to the false summit. Ahead of me the snow coverage on the ridge out to the true summit was great. I gave it a shot, but after about 5 minutes turned back. The sun was now on the ridge and the snow softening very quickly. I was afraid of breaking through into a tree well or sliding off the edge. Being solo today, I retreated to the false summit and called it good.

Descending, I continued farther down the ridge towards Mason Lake and found better snow coverage. A combination of plunge stepping and slow-glissades got be back down to the main trail. The snow was liquifying very quickly now and I was glad to be heading out. Some others were just now reaching the snowfields.

A little further down I ran into a uniformed Forest Service volunteer. I assumed she was checking on trail construction but she informed me that they were trying to keep people from crossing the snowfields since they were expecting slides. And I was also informed they are doing the same on Granite Mountain ever since the recent avalanche death. Snow conditions seemed good early on, but later in the day I could see problems developing. Based on the thin snow depth I figure post-holing injuries would be much more likely than avalanche though. There were many people up there unprepared for the conditions. Hope everyone stayed safe.

Trailhead was easily accessible except many potholes on the gravel road after the freeway exit.
Trail is in great shape. We started around 10 a.m. with little bit of rain shower which became clear once we reached top. There is not much snow( around 2 - 3 feet) on the slope but good to have waterproof shoe. I did use microSpikes but not for long, ski poles were helping much at steeper places.
The last 1,000ft has a pretty solid staircase up in the snow. In the end, it was great hike, will definitely comeback in summer.

Drive up was decently clear of snow, trail is very wide but about a foot of melting snow. Once we saw the waterfall we decided to free climb up and around the water fall/stream. Plan on being back in the summer for the ACTUAL trail.