Reached the trailhead (now again accessible by car!) around 10:30am. Would have been car #10, except that I had parked opposite the Chatter Creek guard station.

The trail up to where it crossed Chatter Creek the second time (this time without a bridge, but trivial to cross) was in good condition, no blowdowns, just a few brushy sections. There were a few rougher sections up to Grindstone Pass, but the trail was still easy to follow. Beyond Grindstone Pass, part of the trail was under a thin layer of snow (later: slush). There were no tracks yet, so I followed the parts of the trail that I could see, and the cairns. This got me to Lake Edna on the shortest possible (though not official) route. Followed the official route on the way back; this turned out to be less of a detour than the trail I had on the map (both on MyTopo and Northwest Topos 0.17).

There were lots of blueberries on the slope approaching Grindstone Pass, but I can't vouch for their tastiness. Nice fall colors, and several of the larches in the basin beyond Grindstone Pass had turned golden, but most were just starting to turn. I heard quite a few (and even saw some) Pikas.

Encountered a dozen or so parties on the trail.

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/eric.jain/LakeEdnaOctober2011
Tracklog: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/120023786

Chatter Creek trail is in very good condition, with one or two minor blowdowns. Moderately steep but well consolidated snow just before Grindstone shoulder. Pass itself is bare but from the shoulder on down and back up through the basin to Lake Edna is mostly in well consolidated snow. Trail will not be visible so route finding to the lake is required (Cape Horn makes an excellent reference point if it is clear).

Great time to go for solitude and freedom from bugs if you don't mind snow travel. Some bare ground for tents/bivies available near the lake or on the ridge directly above (very exposed to the weather).

July 26th, we took the Trailways bus to Steven's Pass and set out for Chain Lakes by way of Lake Josephine, PCT and Tr 1551 to Chain Lakes Tr 1569. Trail is good to Josephine, and good but brushy in places to waist deep on Tr 1551. Most logs are cleared and trail not hard to follow. We camped at a small camp along the trail near the junction with Tr 1551. Small unmarked stream is still flowing there. Tr 1569 ascends steeply, easy to follow, to Chain Lakes, and beyond to Doelle Lakes. We ate lunch on the shoulder east of the pass looking down on Doelle Lakes. Still a snow patch below pass but barely on the lower trail. Trail was hard to find between upper and lower Doelle Lakes, and we lost it among the campsite trails. While it is possible to find a way down along the outlet of the upper lake as we did, the actual trail stays high and east away from the shore of the upper lake and campsites. We picked up the trail again at the lower lake. The Icicle Ridge Trail cuts off circling a flat marsh clockwise below the lower Doelle Lake a half mile or so. Some cairns visible through the grass. The trail turns abruptly up into the woods on left side of marsh and climbs steeply for a ways, then begins to traverse right around into the next basin and descends below a rockslide before climbing to a pass, then following the ridgecrest roughly over several tops toward Frosty Pass. (See Trekking Washington, Mike Woodmansee) We lost the trail in a basin on the north side of the ridge where it descends and camped there, about a half to 3/4 mi from Frosty Pass. Good water for now. In the morning, we worked over toward Frosty Pass and picked up the real trail above the level of our camp and toward the Pass. Trail from Doelle Lakes also brushy in places, thin, rough.
From Frosty Pass toward Lake Edna, trail is good and more open. Much water still in small streams. Avalanche debris blocks trail for a bit above Lake Margaret, easily skirted. The snow slope that can be an early hazard rounding Cape Horn above Lake Edna is no longer on the trail. We camped near Lake Edna. Here and everywhere above about 3000', bugs were fierce when we were not moving, and there was little breeze. Mosquitoes, black flies and horse flies. Worst in the highest camps. Bold marmot hung around our camp at Lake Edna and chewed the water bag plug.
From Lake Edna, followed the Icicle Ridge Tr to the junction with Chatter Ck trail 1580 and turned south on it, descending more, crossing a basin with much snow over trail in center, and climbing to a pass. There the trail descends 4000' to Icicle Cr Road. Good trail, heavier used and more clear than the Icicle Ridge Tr beyond the junction to the east. Brushy in places, more logs across trail than earlier trails, but some trail work done this year. Trail comes out on the road above the closure/washout and a bit downstream from the Chatter Ck Guard Stn (empty.) We saw a couple mountain bikers on the road, but its not getting car traffic this year except official traffic. From the guard station we took the Icicle Gorge Tr upstream along the south shore of the creek in the shade up to Rock Island Camp Ground. Only two parties there (including us.) Both walk in. Restrooms open, garbage and water not open. Luxurious to have a picnic table for cooking, sitting.
Next morning, up Jack Ck Tr 1558. Excellent shape for first few miles, with near ripe blueberries down low, and ripe salmon berries of excellent quality, juicy, sweet further along. In mile 4-5, trail was very brushy, and this was much noticed because thunderstorm cell had soaked the brush the night before. We got soaked from hips down and then were out of the wet. Further along, passed the site of the fires that closed the upper Jack Ck trail above Meadow Cr last year from Aug until snows. Many trees survived, many fell, ground is covered in dead needles. Interesting. All logs are cleared through here on trail, but further up is a messy challenging crossing of Jack Cr or an easy wade. Probably a rock hop when water falls a bit more, rocks in Jack Cr are very slippery. We continued on to Stuart Pass and over the rock scramble to area around Ingall's Lake. Camped below the lake (no camping permitted at lake). Many mountain goats at lake, we saw 14 at once, all pretty unafraid of people and looking for salt.
Our plan was to find the scrambling route around Ingall's Lake to the Ingall's Lake Tr but after an hour of looking, we were not successful and decided to descend to Ingall's Ck trail 1215, then up over Longs Pass and down to N Fork of the Teanaway, Esmeralda Basin trailhead. We lost a lot of elevation to the junction with Longs'Peak trail. The latter is steep, short, and more of a climbers trail than a full on hiker's trail. Lot's of gravel and loose rock on a steep tread. Dry. The descent down to trailhead is also dry. Fill up at Ingall's Ck. Finished July 31st about noon.
We highly recommend the route as a great one-way, multi-day backpack alternative to the crowded PCT for experienced hikers. Great views, much time above timberline, few people, and a strong feeling of covering a lot of ground in about 45-47 mis and nearly 13,000' of climbing. The camps along the Icicle Cr are very pleasant this year without cars, and provide a continuous sense of wilderness that would be interrupted once the road is rebuilt sometime in 2010.