First thing you will notice as you get out of your car is the aroma of Skunk Cabbage. Then it's around the nature loop and up the boundary trail which has been worked on recently and in good shape first mile. Thank you to all the volunteers! Trillium is starting to bloom. I didn't encounter any snow till after the waterfall, which was nice but I couldn't capture it well due to lighting. My goal was to reach the ridge but after post-holing for a bit I said forget it and give it a few weeks to melt out and try again. This one is a good conditioner in my opinion cuz it's all up up up. Post-holing burns lots of calories too! Saw my first pika of the year.
Ran into some french tourists on the way down, they asked if there are views on this trail, I said nope, and told them they must go to Paradise. I hope they enjoyed it.

Hiked up the Boundary Trail to Alki Pass and then went off-trail to Florence Peak. 10 miles round trip. The Boundary Trail begins off of the nature trail from the Carbon River entrance (go around the Nature Trail and there is a side trail that goes up hill---it isn't marked with a sign). The Boundary Trail is in excellent condition. It's 3.5 miles to the top of Alki Pass. At the very summit is a side trail going south to Florence Peak. There are branches snipped and the occasional pink tape marking the path (it was covered in snow for us), but just follow the very top of the ridge all the way to the summit of Florence Peak.

The snow started about 2 1/2 miles up. It was melting fast by the time we left. At the base to the scramble to Florence Peak it was 8-18" in places but well packed. There was no need for snowshoes. Definitely recommend having poles on this hike!

This trail is not shown on Green Trails Map #269, but I have found it on USGS topo maps online. It begins at the back of the Carbon River nature trail across the street from the ranger station. If you take the .3 mi loop clockwise, it will be easier to see the trail heading up the hill.

This trail pleasantly gets to business immediately: climb, switchback, climb some more, and switchback again. After a few minutes of this, you'll realise that you're heading decidedly west. A few more switchbacks, and you may notice yourself crossing the park boundary, into national forest land.

What I'd guess was a mile and a half and 1400' gain brings you to a nice waterfall at about 3200', where I called it quits. There were smatterings of snow here, and the wind was chilling me a bit. I radioed my partner, who claimed he was getting close to the ridge. I know what it's like to be fooled by what looks like a growing patch of sky when you're heading up the trail, but I decided to humor him anyway. Twenty minutes later he radioed to tell me he had attained some sort of ridge, and there was about two feet of snow up there, at 4400'.

In general, the trail is in good condition up to the ridge. There's a few spots (mostly outside the park boundary) that need some regrading or trail widening, but there are no trees down to maneuver around. According to the topo map I looked at, the trail descends from the ridge to Tolmie Creek, then ascends and skirts the west side of August and Virginia Peaks. It then switches to the east side to pass below Martin Peak, then drops to Mowich Lake Rd, about a half mile west of the Paul Peak trail. One of the gentlemen I spoke to on the trail mentioned an unmaintained trail that climbs up the ridge, crossing back east into the park boundary toward Florence Peak. I'm excited to explore this area further.

Skunk cabbage is blooming in the wet lowlands. I saw a lonely blossom on a bare twig that I thought was currant.