Trip Reports

If you're heading towards this hike the next few days, read ddubatudub's report from 5/9.

The main stream that crosses the trail about 0.5 miles up is still flowing heavily. The log bridge that ddubatudub put down on 5/9 was still in place. It's manageable, better if you have poles or a couple people to work together. I added a couple more logs on my way down, so hopefully it'll be available the next couple days.

The first snow field you'll reach is very soft. Punched through a few places. The upper snow field near the top is much better, though I did punch through once up there too. It is definitely doable, again having poles (and gaiters don't hurt here either) makes it more manageable.

The boot trail through the snow mostly follows the real trail and is easy to follow.

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.

Parked on south side of I-90 Exit-42. After crossing Mason Creek, an easy-to-follow trail led up to FR-9031, then Iron Spring TH. Followed summer trail until Bandera folk, then steep ascend. Snow became thin above 4700 ft on rocks and at places couldn't hold snowshoes well so most in the group switched to crampons. Broke above clouds at ~4200 ft, great views of mountains (including Rainier & Adams) in all directions. 8 miles RT, 3700 ft, 7.5 hours

Album: http://tinyurl.com/bjhw96t

What a day... We headed up the snowy fire road at about 10:15am, and had no problems getting all the way to the end of the road (a parking lot). The first couple feet into the parking lot we got my Chevy 4x4 w/32" off road tires incredibly stuck. After digging the truck out until noon we finally got the truck's wheels into the grooves we followed up, and figured we'd just carefully back down when we finished hiking.

Unfortunately the time we lost meant we would not make the summit in time, and we really didn't even make it to the Bandera Mt. trail head 3.6 miles in.

We got back to my truck at about 2:50pm having only seen two other people hiking (they hiked up from the freeway). We got in the truck and proceeded to back down - we got stuck again about 400ft away from where we parked. We called for a wench at 3pm expecting it to arrive around 4pm. It ended up getting to us at 6:45pm because two other people had gotten their trucks stuck on the road that he had to help before he could even get to us.

We finally made it down the mountain at about 7:20pm.

If you don't have a significantly raised truck with chains or a wench do not even bother trying to get up the road.

After numerous flip-flop reports from the weatherman, we decided to just go for it. And are we glad we did!

As soon as we hit I-90 the fog lifted, the sun came out and the fall colors along the interstate promised to reward us with even greater vistas once on the mountain.

FS road #9031 is very pot-holey and filled with tire-puncturing small sharp rocks, so be careful.

Our first trip to Bandera made us wonder if we had taken a wrong turn and ended up at Mailbox Peak. Very little was said in any of the trail descriptions or reports about the thigh-burning, sometimes hard-to-follow rocky ascent shortly after the trail splits off to Mason Lake. It truly was reminiscent of the last section of Mailbox. But after that, a forested, less-steep section gave us a reprieve before the final boulder-scramble to the top.

Did I mention the colors!!! And the views! Rainier was out in all its glory and around every corner we were rewarded with reds, crimsons, oranges, salmons, yellows, and every color in between.

Other than the trail being very dusty at times this was a great workout and a beautiful fall day. Dust is a small price to pay for a glorious dry October hike.

Wildflowers were very nice. The clouds were thick in the morning, but opened up beautifully by mid-day. Trail conditions were excellent. Thank you to the Mountaineers group who were doing work not far from the trailhead. We heard the marmots, but didn't spot any.

Start 12:35, finish 16:35, with Ben. Clear conditions, great views, boulder scramble was secure, steep climbs weren't that bad, just slow. Steepest hike I have done. Saw a work party on the trails, thank you! It was a perfect trail today.

Start 12:35, finish 16:35, with Ben. Clear conditions, great views, boulder scramble was secure, steep climbs weren't that bad, just slow. Saw a work party on the trails, thank you! It was a perfect trail today.

Headed up to Snoqualmie Pass looking for some fall color, and was not disappointed. Arrived at the trailhead at 9:00, only two other cars in the parking area. A nice gradual slope for the first couple of miles, trail in excellent condition. After a couple of miles the trail opens up and Mt Rainier come into view. The trail becomes a scramble around 1 mile from the peak of Bandera Mountain, and it is a relentless thigh burner for awhile. The hillside was blazing with reds, yellows, and orange color. The smoke from Eastern Washington combined with low clouds and fog made visibility less than it would have been otherwise. All in all a nice hike, and a good workout.

This hike is a real thigh and glute burner! The rocks that begin at the 2.5 mile point are difficult to scramble but fun. We were worried about getting back DOWN all of them but our fears were needless. And the views are breathtaking. My friends and I feel so lucky to live in this beautiful state.

We knew the parking would be crowded, but it seemed more so than usual. We got one of the last spots in the lot arriving at 8:30.

The trail is in great condition, though the bugs are a bit out of control. bees in the switchback area, and misquitos at the summit.

We reached the summit with our 30lb dog, I wouldn't recommend heading up the scrambles with a dog unless your dog is a seasoned hiker as it is a strenuous hike.

One thing to note, that we have noticed is a problem everytime we hike Bandera, at the first big rock scramble stay to the right. The trail goes on to the left, but you should stay to the right when going over all of the rock srambles (sometimes there are little stacks of rocks to see where the trail is above). The trail has been worn to the left because so many people see that as the "easier" option.

Car to car summitting Bandera took us 4 hours.

Oh, Bandera. I keep going back even though it kicks my butt every time. Today we reached new levels of dumbassedry by going in the early afternoon instead of our usual evening ascent, and man alive that big, open hillside is a beast in the scorching sun. I spent a good portion of the hike cursing the gods for the steepness of the trail, cursing myself for not going to Mason Lake instead, and cursing the inventors of peanut butter cups for the trouble I was having propelling my body upwards.

Anyhoo, wildflower update: bear grass is bald by now and tiger lilies are starting to droop, but paintbrush is looking fantastic.

Animals: two garter snakes and some sort of lizard, two bald eagles, plus several meeping pikas heard but not seen. Flies were plentiful in the woods but better in the meadow(?).

If you go to Bandera this hot weekend, bring lots of water for you (and your dog if you have one) and dip your baseball cap when you cross the creek to keep your head cool (for a second or two).

~ The Hiking Vikings

The parking lot was filling up at 9:00 AM. We started out in clouds with occasional sun breaks, and the clouds didn’t lift until we descended from Mason Lake in the afternoon. The wildflowers in the Alpine meadows were the highlight of this incredible hike. The trail is in great shape up to Bandera and Mason Lake. I recommend doing this hike now while the wildflowers are peaking.

Exit 45 is closed coming from Seattle ! Take exit 47, then get onto I 90 to Seattle. Exit 45 is open coming from Spokane.

Trail is in excellent shape and climbs at a decent elevation till the Mason Lake and Bandera intersection. We left around 10.30 and reached the top in 2.5 hours. Saw quite a few pets whose owners looked more tired on reaching the top. No snow on trail but very misty at the top so preferred time to go up would be in the afternoon around 3 or 4 pm.

Last 1 mile has a quite a few boulders to climb to scramble to the top. Came back comfortably down in about 2 hours with a mixed group of first time hikers and experienced ones. Some bugs at the top so carry a bug spray.

Weekend trip reports sounded great, but the road is blocked for helicopter logging Monday through Friday until noon.

If you are coming from seattles, and take exit 45 to go to 9030, then that under bridge road is blocked, you have to go to exit 47, and come from another side to continue.

Road to trailhead is full of potholes as has been said in other trip reports.

Didn't know this trail is so popular, parking lot was full at 9.

First part of the hike till it splits for mason lake and bandera summit is fairly easy, with a regular gradient.

We went up Bandera, and what a view it is, flower show all around you.

It is bit steep, and scramble sometimes. I would suggest good boots and poles. There is no water, snow on trail, its all dry.

Took us 1:45 to go up, and 1 hr to come back, were in a hurry, so we did some light jogging on the way back.

Northwest pass required for parking.

Kash

This hike is in the book 'Best Wild Flower Hikes' and I can see why. You don't need perfect weather to enjoy this hike. The flowers are the star of the show right now. I am sure you will notice the views too when the clouds clear. That last steep section of the hike is like the stairway to heaven. (No kidding, bring poles they will help in the descent of this rocky stairway) Challenging climb but well worth it. Trail is in great shape - no snow, no blow downs, no mud.
Arrived early (8:30 ish) lot was half full. Trail was not crowded going up. More were headed up as we were on our way down to an overflowing lot.
Bring plenty of water - no water source on most of the trail.

Set out to do this hike today, but the road leading to trailhead 9031, is blocked off this week for heli-logging. The sign posted said the road would be closed Monday- Friday noon. A friend encountered the same block and sign last Tuesday. Not sure how much longer this will be there, but Monday-Friday hikers be warned. I went up the road 9030 instead for a hike up past talapus and ollalie lakes to Rainbow lake.

Three of us began this hike around 11:30AM. We were at the top by 2:30PM, but not without a lot of sweat and a few necessary breaks. The sun and heat made the scramble especially challenging, but we encountered absolutely no issues with the trail- mud-holes, snow, or blow-downs.

There were probably 60 cars in the parking lot and along the road but because the trailhead leads to Mt. Defiance and Mason Lake as well as Bandera, the trail traffic wasn't bad. At the top, where we spent about a half hour enjoying the views, there were absolutely no other people.

There were a couple of small patches of snow OFF of the trail near/on the summit which were perfect for cooling down. Those will be gone in the next day or two though, judging by the rate at which they were melting.

Round-trip the hike itself, without breaks, took us about four hours. All in all, this is a great hike. Just be forewarned- on the way up, you will ALWAYS be hiking up. If you're not one for a lot of elevation gain, I'd recommend something a little more flat.

To keep it short,

Snow-free to the lake save a few small stretches just before the lake itself. Mason Lake is half-thawed. Trail to Mason is in good shape, no blow-downs.

About the Mt. Defiance trail... non-existent. The trail that leads up and away from the lake quickly vanishes under a meadow of snow. Follow the meadow until you reach the ridgeline that takes you to the top. Keep the ridge to your left as following the ridge is far more difficult than staying down in the snow. Eventually, the ridgeline steepens and you have to go on it. Some dicey boulderfields, lots of bushwacking, steeeep snow (crampons and ice axe highly advisable), all the way to the top. Part of the trail that cuts on the south side under the peak was visible, but dropping down from the ridgeline just below the summit would be pointless as the backside is a big snowslide. Fun, very challenging.

Now Bandera. From the pass, it's still covered in snow 75%, pretty difficult to follow as well... 6ft snow steps in some place. The summit is half-thawed. Incredible views. The normal way up (and for us, down) to the summit is completely snow-free and in good shape albeit steep as hell! All in all great hike.

The Mason Lake trail is essentially melted out to the lake. There is a total of maybe 200' of snow and it is definitely low-top boot if not tennis shoe material. Most of the campsites have melted out and you can easily get around that side of the lake.

As you leave the lake the snow almost immediately covers the trail. The Mt. Defiance route is definitely a snow route right now with several steep slopes and snow that just barely kicks into steps. Recommend an ice axe.

The Bandera trail is snow free and you can just walk to the top.

Confession: If you come across the worst-written USFS trail report in history on the board at the Ira Spring trailhead that is my fault. I got caught in a fast-moving storm on Bandera, got soaked, high-tailed it to the parking lot, then decided to do my "wilderness-ranger duty" and fill out the report. Frozen fingers conspired with a frozen brain and no "green form" to produce that. Seriously! If I wasn't a volunteer I'm pretty sure that would have got me fired. Sorry about that!

The snow has melted! (Or at least it is down to a couple of 10 ft wide patches that can be scurried around.) The trail was dry in all but a few tiny spots. We wore hiking boots but would have been just as happy in running shoes, Chacos or the like.
It was a fabulously sunny day with perfect views of Rainier. We sat on the top for a good 30 minutes just enjoying the views, dashed over to Mason Lake (trail still covered in well-packed snow) for a supremely chilly dip, and headed down. By 2:00 we were back to a very full parking lot and dreaming of chocolate milkshakes.

Went on a nice sunny day on Monday and there were about 8 other cars parked at the lot. The roundtrip hike took us about 3 and a half hours. There was still a fair amount of snow beginning at the false summit until the summit. Some of the other hikers turned back when there was no alternative to hiking up the snow but we went with just regular running shoes on and were able to make it to the top with some scrambling skills.

Went on a nice sunny day on Monday and there were about 8 other cars parked at the lot. The roundtrip hike took us about 3 and a half hours. There was still a fair amount of snow beginning at the false summit until the summit. Some of the other hikers turned back when there was no alternative to hiking up the snow but we went with just regular running shoes on and were able to make it to the top with some scrambling skills.

Absolutely beautiful hike on a beautiful day. Poles were definitely helpful, and gaiters if you go past the false summit--that's where the deeper snow starts. I wished I had brought traction devices for the descent, but if your knees are strong you don't need them.

I met a group of guys who really graciously let me tag along with their group to the summit. I had to stop on the way down to rest my knee and lost them. If Manoj or Brendan read this, please contact me and maybe I can meet up for another hike in the future...and seriously, thank you so much!

Car to car: 6 hours, including breaks.

Plan was to camp at Mason Lake but the near-record low temps forecast for that night meant that it was not to be. We day-hiked to cloud-shrouded Bandera instead.

The trail was in really good shape and the false summit is a walk up. Watch your footing as you negotiate the pockets near the false summit where snow is melting around boulders. The trail to the true summit wasn't worth it this time due to the low visibility, but the path forward looked safe enough.

The goal was Bandera first then Mason lake and Mount Defiance for the finale...it didn't work out that way though. The trail is very well maintained (way to go WTA) and not very difficult,hikers in shape will have no trouble. The waterfall on the way up is pretty impressive and you'll get a few nice views of the I-90 corridor through brakes in the trees during the first couple miles. Around 4,ooo ft the trees thin and you are exposed to the sun(if you're lucky)or rain,snow,and wind if you're me. The trail splits with Bandera to the right and Mason lake to the left,sticking with the plan I headed up Bandera. The trip to the false summit is fairly steep with some boulders that you need to watch out for if you value your ankles. It began snowing pretty good and the clouds blew in dropping visibility to 20yrds or so,not really an issue until I got near the top. Once I reached the false summit I searched in vain for any sign of a trail to follow to Bandera's true Peak but due to the snow and low visibility it was not to be(the true summit is not much higher than the false and there was no view to speak of anyway). I headed back down to the split in the trail and made my way towards Mason lake. In no time at all you find a sign that reads Alpine lakes,be careful there is a lot of snow on the trail down to Mason lake and I wouldn't recommend the trip until we get some more heat and the snow melts. That being said I scrambled down anyway and found what I thought was the trail...following what looked like old snowshoe tracks I made my way to the lake(totally frozen over). A quick bite to eat I started out again in search for the trail to Mount Defiance,20 minutes later I was bushwhacking and post holing after following what I thought were more tracks but ended up being,well,nothing. Frustrated I retraced my steps and headed back for home. The trip didn't go exactly as planned but I thoroughly enjoyed myself and will be back for an overnight trip when the weather has warmed setting up camp by Mason lake and taking in the views from Defiance's summit.

Picked Bandera based on recent trips up Mt. Teneriffe and Granite. We expected similar conditions and effort.

Weather at the trailhead at around 9:00 was drippy and upper 50's. Mostly cloudy with only rare sun breaks. So our expectations for a vista at the summit were low.

We headed up just before the WTA work party. Met up with two Forest Service Rangers right near the big waterfall who reminded us to keep my dogs leashed.

We hit the split from the Mason lake trail at the 3 mile mark and began the very steep hike/climb up toward Bandera; you're on rocks and low grasses this time of year and we were exposed to the wind and rain coming in from the south. That trail is pretty rough -- approaching a 50% grade with no two steps alike.

We worked our way to the false summit on the SW arm of Bandera where you get a break in the trees and hit the snow at about 4,700ft. From this point on we followed the ridge and whatever footprints we could find in the snow.

The trail meanders from snow to the rocky ridgeline; it's more or less pointless to try to follow the trail as it's mostly buried, so just head up the ridge. You get into some forested areas, but as you get near the top, the trail opens up on firm snowpack. You really must have Microspikes and/or poles to keep yourself safe. Any big slips and you could easily glissade a few hundred feet toward Mason Lake.

At this point the weather worsened and my dogs were wet and cold. We were struggling to find the true summit and post-holed a few times transitioning between the snow and rocky ridge. There was not a lot of room to navigate along the narrow ridge.

As the summit was completely cloud-shrouded, we decided to spin back around and head back. I hastened the trip, as the cold penetrating rain was sideways and the dogs were really feeling it. Made good time down the steep part back to the trail split and found some trees to protect us so I could bundle up the dogs and get some snacks.

We passed the Rangers again -- with dogs leashed -- and then passed all the work parties lunching along the lower part of the trail (Thank You!).

Next time we'll more closely consider the rain and be a little better prepared. It's a great hike -- but it's tough up near the top and poles would definitely be useful any time of year.

My hike was mostly in the clouds and used as a way to stretch my legs. I did see my first Pika of the year, many birds and the Trillium is out.

The shoulder of Bandera to the false summit, is 90% under snow and the the going can be tough at times when the trail goes steep. There were only two small 50' sections of snow to hike on below the trail junction for Mason Lakes.

For more details, pictures, and video of my hike you can go to my site. http://http://www.adventuresofscatman.com/[…]/

*Note:If you are heading east, you will have to bypass exit 45 FS RD9030 and continue to exit 47 Tinkham Rd, Denny Creek, Ashael Curtis at which point you will head westbound to exit 45 to access FS RD9030. The road is blocked due to structural damage to the overpass.
Phew! With that out of the way, today was a fantastic day to hike Bandera Mountain. The route was clear until just before the Bandera Mountain/Mason Lake split, where there was some snow covering the trail. The hike up the knoll was clear until the very top where there was a few patches, and shortly thereafter snow becomes the dominant substrate. I blazed up untouched snow most of the way, avoiding the heavily trodden and slushy looking path. The summit was snow covered but there were a handful of snow free view points available. I might add that the ridge to the summit was snowfree enough to accommodate a wide footpath. I'd recommend hiking poles and gaiters in addition to of course adequate footwear. All in all a fine hike, Happy Trails.

Ben and I arrived to the trailhead just around 8am, which is nothing unusual for us. The weather was cloudy and we danced around the rain for almost the entire trip up. We took an almost immediate right turn and cut straight up an "unadvised" shortcut in hopes of cutting off some of the long monotonous logging road. As we broke off the logging trail and onto the trail we could now find ourselves actually enjoying a workout as we gained elevation. The snow didn't start becoming noticeable until just at the top of the second chute. This was right around the boulder field -well boulder field during the summer. We then carefully followed the footsteps in front of us only post holing through the snow a couple of times, which was minor.
We put it into overdrive as we started up the scramble, which had a few spots of snow coverage but didn't warrant the use of micro-spikes. As we came up to the top of the first false summit the snow was pretty prominent and follows you to the top from here.
We made it to the top ate a sandwich and started to head back down. The cloud cover and cold breeze with a light sprinkle was enough for us and we descended back to the car. We found it much easier to run down the boulder field, which was covered in snow. In avoidance of the rock scramble we saved our knees and about 20 minutes of travel time.

Brought With: Boots, Gaiters and Micro-Spikes (which we never used).
Recommend Bringing: Trekking poles may be helpful.

What an amazing day! So sunny and clear. So much snow.

Road 9030 was its normal, be-potholed self, but also had small (but nontrivially deep) patches of snow starting half a mile from the parking lot, making it difficult for anything but intrepid four-wheelers to get through. Lots of folks just parked on the side of the road and walked 5 or 10 minutes to the trailhead. Good plan.

The trail is snow-free for a short time, then it kicks in and gets progressively deeper. Traction on your shoes is recommended starting a mile or so in, but you could go pretty far with good boots and a pure heart.

Once you pass the three switchbacks and leave the trees and enter the clearing heading up to the top, there's snow. A lot of snow. And no trail. You can walk straight up or traverse your own switchbacks. Either way, it's a lot of work.

Snow conditions on the slope (leaving the parking lot at 10am) were hard and crusty going up, and starting to get pretty wet and soft on the way down (we had lunch at the top and left around 1pm).

At the top of the main slope is the ridge where you can look down at Mason Lake. There are impressive cornices here...be very careful. The cornices and snow conditions in general didn't suggest that continuing the last little bit to the Bandera summit could be endeavored safely, so we turned around here after lunch and gawking at the view.

Down was a lot of work...we walked backwards with snowshoes most of the way down the main slope, and trekking poles were critical since the snow was getting soft and weak. Doing this hike earlier before the sun softened the snow would have been ideal.

Until conditions improve, this hike is quite doable, but you'll want as much boot traction as possible (at least YakTrax or MicroSpikes), and check the avalanche forecast for sure. It was surprisingly how the texture and attitude of the snow changed hour by hour.

It was a great day, in any case, and the views at the top (and along the way) were worth every backwards step down the mountain.

A late Sunday afternoon hike intended for Granite Peak gave way to a full on adventure on Bandera Peak.

After taking exit 45 and not 47 for Granite peak, my partner and I found the road in-passable about a half mile before the trail head leading to Bandera Mountain. We started out at 4pm and was prepared for a night time decent. The day was presenting heavy rain as we hit the trail and by the 3000' mark full on snow was laying down hard.

The trail had seen about a half dozen adventurers recently and was somewhat packed. We did encounter a few post holing steps while on the way to the 4,000 mark. Once we reached the clearing that most take straight up during the summer months we found that the past hikers had stopped and retreated. The reason was very evident, avalanche debris could be seen and a 30-40 degree slope is prime danger territory. Knowing the recent conditions and prepared to dig a pit resulted in a stable report and we resumed our ascent, traversing through thigh deep snow up to the ridge at 5,000 feet by this time it was near dark thirty and we could see Bandera, but decided to retreat.

The glissade back down to where we broke the new trail was a thrilling ride and cut about 30 minute off of our total round trip of 6.5 hours.

Suggested to take shovel, probe, avalanche beacon, and plenty of munchies.

Walked right from fall into winter! Most of the fall color has now passed, and there was a lovely dusting of snow on the trees for the last leg of the trail. Yak Trax or poles ould be helpful (although I managed fine without) on the last piece of the trail as it was a little slippery and icy, and likely to get worse from here on out. The top ridge was just stunning with the fresh snow and icicles on the trees, and there was a nice view of Rainier.

I have to say I do love this trail -- the top meadows are always spectacular, plus it's a good workout and easy to get to.

Trailhead only had two other cars when we arrived, and we were immediately warned of a large black bear at the junction between the trail to the lake and the trail to Bandera mountain, though we nor none of the other 6 or so people we encountered coming down had seen it.

Bugs were present most of the time, but even without repellent I seem to have escaped unscathed. They were more a nuisance than anything.

Mostly overcast with sun breaks, myself (age 28) and my friend (age 29) were both sweating profusely in the 70 degree-or-so heat.

Personally I feel the term "mild scrambles" is an understatement. Don't get me wrong: this was a great hike. But even for two youngish guys in fairly good shape, the last portion from the trail junction was TOUGH. I am by no means a hiking expert, but I think unless you do these kinds of hikes regularly, the last 1/3 will require a good amount of resting. You're going to be using your hands or sticks extensively to CLIMB not HIKE over a lot of this portion. Though it's not as long as the first part, it is a very steep grade and you're going basically straight up the mountain for most of it.

That said, the view is amazing. Almost 360 degrees, and you're higher than almost all the surrounding hills. You can actually see Seattle even on an overcast day, which is pretty amazing as it's 50 miles away.

My final suggestion would be that those of us with old knee injuries should be very careful on this one. Going down especially when your legs are already tired is an easy injury if you aren't paying careful attention.

Bring Deet! I wish that there had been an honest write up of this hike so that those who are not one of the 25 year old cowboy hikers who were going up this section of the trail could be prepared. So here is a write up from a 50 year old perspective. The Bandera trail is the same as the Mason lake trail but they split way up near the top. The Bandera Y of the trail begins steep and gets worse. When you have to use your hands to get up and down boulders isn’t that rock climbing? So be prepared with poles. Finally when you slowly have navigated this steep terrain about a mile you are there. The flowers are all in bloom but the blueberries are not ripe yet. The view is beautiful indeed but now you have to go down…. You get the idea. Bring sunscreen because you are exposed from the Mason Lake cut off to the top. The biting flies and Deer flies were seriously bad. Get there early to beat the crowd and the heat. Bring lots of water too.

Beautiful day at Bandera Mountain! The trail begins at very mild incline for the first 2 miles. The next 1.75 miles are steep, with a mild rock scramble at the top. You will not need trekking poles if you are in good health, most of the climb is easy to manage. However, this trail will be simple for experienced hikers, and much harder for those who are used to more gentle hikes like Rattlesnake. Please be aware that the trailhead is mostly exposed, so wear sunscreen and bring lots of water. I would also recommend bug repellent.

Why would anyone hike this trail? It is crowded. The freeway noise is constant. The shooters are shooting guns nearby. Then I got to the trail junction and headed up the steep, open trail towards Bandera summit. The freeway began to sound like a distant river, the shooters quit shooting and the wildflowers! It was one of the finest flower displays I have ever seen, huge views too.

This was a great hike that I did with my father. Got to the trailhead with only 4 other cars there (it was a tuesday) at around 9:15am. With a few small stops, it took us about 2 hours to get up to the top. The flowers are amazing -- tiger lilies(?), small roses(?), and a bunch more that i can't name off hand. The trail leading up from the fork in the trail to bandera mt. was by far the toughest portion, and we were lucky that it was partly cloudy. Still, mt. Rainier was fully visible from that point, so essentially you can climb to the fork and get everything you would if you were to climb to little bandera.

Trail was in excellent condition, and i would recommend getting there early so you can tackle the steep section not in full day sun.

We arrived at the trailhead at 11 am; cars were lined up one-half mile down the narrow gravel road; we intrepidly entered the parking area at the trailhead and created our own space in the middle, as had several other hikers. Early on, we were treated to clear views of McClellan Butte, Mt Kent, and Mt Gardner (from West to East) through breaks in the tree cover--there are incredible views all throughout. It was a sunny day, and we regretted not bringing sunscreen. There were a lot of other hikers, most of whom were going to Mason Lake. One of the highlights on the way up was meeting another hiker who had actually known and hiked with Ira Spring! As we neared the boulder field near the bifurcation of the Mason Lake and Bandera Mountain trails, unobstructed views of Rainier came into play. We then ascended the steepest part of the trail through the wildflower meadow/boulder field leading up to the summits and the ridge between them. The flowers were in beautiful form. As we reached the ridge, we could see the snow cap of Mt Adams to the southeast. The "scramble" to the top was not difficult--the rocks were dry and there was no snow on the trail. At the top we had incredible views of the surrounding moutains, especially Defiance, and Mason Lake. We also had the company of a pair of black-capped chickadees. Descending, the only potentially treacherous part was the meadow/boulder field below the ridge--poles are advisable.

The road was in good condition. Got to the parking at noon, just as it started overflowing.

Encountered a dozen or so parties on the way up to the false summit (and more on the way down), but not a single person between the false and the true summit. The "trail" to the true summit was overgrown and even ran into some snow; I lost it several times. The trail up to the Bandera/Mason junction was in perfect condition. The trail up to the false summit is steep and full of rocks, but was dry (apart from one slightly muddy section through the forest) and in good condition.

Wildflowers: lots and lots of Beargrass, and also Paintbrush, Lupine and Penstemon, and others
Wildlife: a pika and a bald eagle

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/[…]/BanderaMountainJuly2011
Tracklog: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/102478420
Summit Panorama: http://photosynth.net/view.[…]e538-4a3a-ba91-ef81ca8ba7e3

Beautiful day for a hike! FSR 9030 and 9031 are quite well maintained, with only a few big pot-holes. Parking extended from the lot and about a quarter mile down the road, quite a few hikers today. This is a really well-maintained and well-marked trail until the top; the first 2 miles or so are pretty steep switchbacks that go through woods and boulder fields - last bit of shade until the top! About 1 mile up I could start seeing Rainier to the south. Right after the sign for Mason Lake, at 2.8 miles, the trail goes straight up basically going up 500 feet in about 1/4 mile (from what I can tell on the map), through beautiful wildflowers. One of the other hikers referred to this as a longer version of Mailbox, so be prepared! It was pretty cool to stop and look at the view - field of flowers, people processing up the hill as if we were in some sort of pilgrimmage, and Rainier become more visible. After the scramble, there's a mile or so along the wooded ridgeline with snow off to the northern side but nothing on the trail. About 50 ft. of trail were a little muddy, otherwise this was all dry. I'm not sure I actually made it to the peak - there wasn't anything marking the top, but there was nowhere to go but down. Everyone else (about 30 people spread out at the "summit" while I was there) seemed to think this was the top.
  View: amazing, no clouds, we could see Rainier, Adams, Baker, Seattle, some of the Olympic peaks, absolutely amazing today. You could also see Mason Lake to the north a few thousand feet below the summit. Lots of bugs at the top, they bothered people but didn't seem to be stinging/biting.
  On the way down I took the 0.9 mile trail out to Mason Lake - a little uphill, then downhill all the way. The trail is a little muddy with 3 or so trees across the path at one point, branches have been cut off but apparently relatively recent and easily stepped over. Mason Lake itself was small, cold, clear, and tempting - I didn't jump in this time, but will definitely bring a towel next time.
  The overall round trip, including 20 minute lunch and occasional water breaks took about 4 hours for me with the initial climb to the top taking about 1:40. Glad I brought sunscreen, lots of water, wish I had a bathing suit.

Ok, who did it? Someone out there talked :). I have climbed Bandera 15 times in the last 3 years, some days I was the only one on the mountain. But today the trailhead parking lot was full and cars were parked along the road for a half mile. Maybe it was these Trail reports!

This Saturday was warm and I had my first chance to make this hike with my wife and my daughter. The flowers are all blooming in reds, whites and blues...very patriotic. The Bear Grass is brilliant with tall white flowers. After climbing about a mile, Rainier popped out above the southern cascade peaks and only grew brighter and more clear as we moved up. The traverse just below the fork to Bandera and Mt Defiance has been improved with steps and an expanded trail. The rock steps starting at the fork to Bandera are tough (as always) and perseverence and stopping to see the sights far below is worth the climb. There is still snow just over the backside of the false summit above Morgan Lake and it was fun making snowballs on an 80 degree July day.

The upper forest is a bit muddy still and sloppery. But the spine continues to live up to it's challenge and spectacular views. 3 out, 3 topped out and 3 safe below after a knee jaring descent. All is all a great family outing.

What a gorgeous day to hike! Apparently, we weren't the only ones who thought so. The parking lot was jam-packed with cars clogging up the road a mile back by 10:00 a.m. The trail was maintained beautifully. Enough moisture below the surface to avoid dust, but dry enough to hike in non-water proof footwear (up the Bandera Mountain path, anyway). Once we broke through the tree-line, the sun was beating down but it was still cool enough to be comfortable. The one issue ... bugs. Once we scrambled up the last half-mile to reach the peak of Bandera, the bugs were at their thickest. I'd recommend bringing some bug spray and sunscreen. There was still a bit of snow up there which was a welcoming surprise for our dog who was hot after the hike up. We enjoyed the view for a few moments, explored the summit and headed back down. Onto the next ... Mason Lake. The trail to Mason Lake is much easier. Once we got closer to the lake there were a few blowdowns and mud on the trail. It was easy to navigate through. There were a lot less bugs by the lake so we were able to enjoy a lovely lunch while our black lab swam. There were plenty of rocks to perch on to enjoy some private time. Overall, it was a fantastic hike that's worth the drive from Seattle.

The trail is dry and in great condition and makes for a fairly smooth hike for the first 2 miles. Only when you break out of the trees does it really start to climb. There are some tricky sections to scramble on the last mile up to the summit and one small patch of snow on the ridge that is so easy to cross it is almost not worth mentioning. Gorgeous wildflowers all along the way and the meadows were filled with sitka valerian.

great day for a hike. Trail just had a few patches of snow and the beargrass are starting to bloom. ran into some old friends on the trail.
This trail is splendid, although crowded and the last couple miles are very steep.

We arrived at the Trailhead at 8:30. The parking lot was already full which was expected on this beautiful Saturday. There was only one small patch of snow that was easily crossed near the top. The trail is dry with only a couple very small spots that had a little mud.

This is the first time I climbed Bandera. It was a bit more difficult and had a little more scrambling at the top than I had expected. One person actually fell pretty hard near the top on a scrambling section. We made sure he was OK. It looked like he had a pretty good cut on his elbow. It was very scary and I'm hoping that was the extent of the injury.

On the way down we passed at least a hundred people. On the way out the cars were lined at least a half mile down the forest service road.

The FS road is in much better condition than years past. My original plan was to do Defiance but my hiking partner did not have appropriate footwear for snow so we picked Bandera instead. Left the parking lot at 9am. The trail is in good shape and only a small patch of snow along the ridge. We hiked up in the fog so we didn't get the usual views, but it kept it quite cool. Arrived at the top about 10:40 and had a quick snack and soaked in the northwest grey before we headed down. About 15 cars in the parking lot when we got down around noon. Some of these folks probably got more of a view since it was clearing up.

Did an impromptu hike up Bandera Mountain on July 4 because the weather was so gorgeous in Seattle. Busy busy hike, the lot was full and cars were parked down the road when we arrived at 11:30, but the trail didn't actually seem to busy. It is 3.8 miles to the summit of Bandera, although there are at least two other listed distances for this hike at the trailhead. It took us an hour and ten minutes to reach the summit and about 55minutes for descent. The trail is completely clear of snow till you get up to the summit and then it is off to the side of the mountain and not on the trail, so nothing to worry about at all. We enjoyed amazing views of Rainier and Adams the entire way up the trail. This hike is definitely not as tough as it is said to be, it does gain some quick elevation about a mile in, but evens out and is a very pleasant climb. Glad the snow is starting to melt finally!

Great hike. Started early to beat the crowd. Scaling the steep trail above the split to Mason lake was a challenge, but stick with it. It is worth the view at the top. Use caution at the top walking through the snow, so stick with the foot prints ahead of you and be sure of your footing. Other than that, this has been the best hike so far this year.

Road to the trail head was in great shape. Lots of cars in the parking lot at 1:15pm. Trail was in great shape all the way up to the "Y" junction between Ira Spring trail and Bandera Mtn trail. The trail towards Mason Lake had significant amounts of snow and following the trail near the lake area got difficult that we just turned around rather than get lost trying to find a trail with all the snow. Beautiful views of Mt Rainier and the I-90 corridor. Took a break at the Ira Spring plaque just on the side of the Alpine Wilderness marker. Picture perfect blue sky day!!

Great hike. Some snow higher up, but not a serious obstacle--lots of kids and dogs out on the trail.

Finally, a free day and it's sunny - to the mountains!

Arrived at trailhead 9:30 am. Cool and sunny; perfect hiking weather. Up the steady, snow-free trail (2 patches just before the trail split). Quite a few folks on this gorgeous day. With this late spring, trillium still blooming!

At split to Mason Lake, headed up to Bandera. Haven't done this one in years, and the knees not quite used to it. Met 2 people on the trail; Jack, Nancy; and played some leapfrog. Straight up to the ridgeline, where trail moves onto snow and a view of Mason Lake, still entirely frozen.

Up ridge, mostly in snow, in and out of evergreens. Plenty of footsteps to follow. Heard the low grunty call of a ptarmigan or grouse. Emerging from trees, follow the boulders up to Little Bandera summit. Can go on the snow to the left if want to.

Several people at the summit with 360'view. Can see 3 lakes, all frozen. Rainier in all its glory and Adams peeking out. Spiky Kaleetan Peak (as informed by Jack). Basked in the perfect view and temperature for some lunch. One person returning from the snowy traverse to Bandera proper, but I'll stop here, as nearly all do.

On my way down, many people coming up (one woman with 2 boys who looked around 8 impressed me!) I was glad to have my poles for the big steps down.

Back to the car 2-ish. A wonderful first alpine hike of the season!

Trail to Mason/Bandera junction has one snow patch in the last few hundred yards which should be gone within a week. Above that, there is snow on the Bandera trail as you meet the ridge for a short distance, then the ridge trail is snow free until about 300 yards from the summit. There is a clear boot path that is easy to follow and relatively risk free.

Mason Lake trail has snow as soon as you go over the ridge. There is an initial patch next to the rock outcrop/cliff just over the ridge that is steep, slippery, and the consequences a slip are probably pretty serious. Beyond that the trail is clear for a short distance then solid snow to the lake. The bootpath goes high and arrives at the lake SE of where the trail is on the next cove along the lake shore. It appears that all of the campsites have snow but are melting out.

No wildflowers yet but the bugs aren't biting either.

First to the trail head this morning shortly before 7AM, first to the top (Little Bandera?) just after 9 AM, and first back to the cars around 11 AM. Road is in great shape. Trail is in great shape. Still a good amount of slushy soft snow (pictures on my blog at lemArts.com) nearing the top and I really wished I hadn't left my gaiters in my car at the trail head.

I'm a little confused about Little Bandera vs Bandera. I think Little Bandera is the first summit at around 5160 ft and farther along the ridge (down and then back up) is Bandera at about 5240 ft (please correct me if I'm wrong). I went as far as the first summit and found lots and lots of cold cold clouds. Absolutely no views. Didn't attempt to go on to Bandera as I couldn't tell where the trail was through the clouds, snow, and trees. I saw Pratt Mountain one minute and then turned around and it was gone. Same thing for Mason Lake.

It's been probably 8 or 9 years since I climbed Bandera and I felt like it was different (a lot easier than I remember). Hopefully someone can help me out? My memory is fuzzy but it seems like it used to continue a lot farther before it started climbing and the climb was much more brutal. It also seems like the cutoff to Mason Lake used to occur much earlier. I could be crazy or maybe the trail was re-routed since the last time I climbed it (Green Trails map says something about 2002 reconstruction)?

Also there were Rangers on the trail (and a fair amount of unleashed canines).

Summer Solstice
I can think of no more perfect way to capture the long-lasting light then hiking Bandera Mountain. Arriving at 6:00 p.m. the warmth of the sun was comforting. Cresting the ridgeline reveals the city of Seattle and the sun’s reflection on the Sound illuminating a sheer brightness of dazzle and glow. Sitting solo and alone on the summit at 8:00 p.m. surrounded by snowy peaks and the sun’s many reflections and light was simply wonderful. As I descended I watched the skies slowly change revealing layer after layer of colors. WOW! Mt. Rainer had an inviting presence basking in red alpenglow. As I hiked down the big sky presented enough light to see my way to the car. By 10:00 p.m. the stars came out with the warmth of the day providing continued comfort. I am grateful to have had this magical evening, suspended in time and lightness all the way to the last rays.

The first day of summer was appropriately warm and sunny on the summit of Bandera Mountain. Even though it was midweek, an amazing number of hikers managed to ditch work and take a hike in the fresh air and sunshine. What a view from the top!

The Ira Spring Trail is free of snow and in good condition most of the way to the Bandera Trail junction, but two steep snowfields still cover about 50 yards of the trail. These snowfields could be dangerous if icy.

The steep initial portion of the Bandera Mountain trail is free of snow. A lot of snow remains on the ridge line approaching the summit of Bandera. Postholing through the snow into gaps between the rocks is a hazard.

Snow: There are two smallish snow fields immediately before the junction with the side trail to Mason Lake. This is the scariest part of the trip as there is no run out. If you fall and don't arrest, you're likely to be hurt. However, the steps through this area are very good and relatively soft, so a fall is unlikely. After the junction with the Mason Lake side trail, there is essentially no snow until close to the ridge crest where the gradient is much diminished. From this point there is snow off and on to the false summit at the end of the normal trail.

Weather: Cloudy with some drizzle. No wind. Very little visibility.

Equipment: Trekking poles are desirable. Gaiters are semi-desirable. If you are unsteady on your feet, you may want an ice axe for the "scariest part of the trip" described above. Traction devices were not needed.

Companion: Amy.

Time: car to summit - 2 hrs; car to car - 4.5 hrs.

Trail is in great condition and pretty much dry until 3870 ft. To get to the ridge, there are 1 small and 2 big stretches of snow to cross. We were fine without extra traction but had ice axes, poles and gaiters (defintely saw some people with microspikes. We brought snow shoes but didn't end up using them). A pretty well beaten boot track exists through those snow fields.

We heard Mason Lake was still snowed in, so headed up the Bandera Mountain Trail at the fork. This trail becomes a scramble up to the ridge, but happily the main path is dry with the exception of a bit of snow melt at the top.

More snow up on the ridge, well packed in places and mushy in others, generally a good boot trail (although it was a bit slick coming down). Snow pack is starting to melt around the rocks and trees, so beware of postholing around these obstacles. A member of my group went hip deep into one by some rocks. A little ways up the ridge, solid ground is available as an alternative to hiking on the snow and goes almost all the way to the Little Bandera Summit where we turned back. Great views all around, especially of the frozen lakes, McClellan Butte and Mount Defiance. There's a nice rock for lunch at the top.

~7.4 miles + ~3,000 ft elevation gain + >4 hrs. We met many friendly hikers on the trip, however, it was thankfully not a Mount Si highway.

Started from the trailhead a little after 9:30am and the parking lot was very close to full. Keeping with that trend we did see a lot of people on the trail, we were going for the summit although most seemed to be going to Mason Lake. The trail climbs from the start but it is rather gradual for the first few miles before it starts to go up the mountain side. No snow was present until the probably 2.5 miles in, once you hit the boulder field though it does get a few feet deep. We traversed most of the boulder field to the ridge, with the warm weather we were postholing past our knees and decided to summit another day. We figured it would be the smart decision as we could have made it up, but would only be worse coming down. Even at that point in the day our Microspikes and poles/ice axe came in handy getting down. Some others did say that the boulder field was the worse part.

Our goal today was to see how far we could get on the trail. A couple of weeks ago the dogs and I headed up this same trail and made it up to the ridge above Mason Lake. Today we started up the trail around 9:30 with quite a few other hikers. The snow has definitely melted out a lot compared to 2 weeks ago, but we still hit snow above the switchbacks and the slope up to the ridge is totally covered. Having a pole was tremendously helpful, but I still punched through in a couple of areas especially around the rock fields. The view from the ridge above Mason Lake was fantastic and that seems to be where most people were stopping for the day. The dogs and I continued up the bootpath that led up toward Bandera Peak. The path was easy to follow and the snow was not bad to walk in. We made it up to Little Bandera and enjoyed a phenomenal view in all directions. I could see a bootpath that followed the ridge over to the true Summit, but we decided to call it a day and just enjoy the scenery!. All in all a fantastic hike, the dogs had a blast and so did I! We met a lot of great people and other dogs on the trail! A great day.

Finally a beautiful day to enjoy the magnificent views from Little Bandera after a training scramble! Snow is still predominant on this trail after 3800ft. Traction devices, poles and/or ice axe are recommended. I scouted the traverse to the main peak but it still looked sketchy, there is a good view of the cornices along the saddle -- just didn't look inviting. I know someone attempted the traverse today, but I'm not sure if she was able to find a path or not. There was a lot of traffic on the trail today and many people are unprepared for the snow and having to turn around. The trail to Mason Lake is likewise largely inaccessible unless you are prepared with some sort of traction.

Many thanks to the work crews fixing up the trail today! Thanks both to WTA and the Mountaineers for your volunteer efforts!

Perfect bluebird day in the 70s. Hit snowline around 3700 ft and it was all snow from there. See the full summit log and photos here: http://peakery.com/little-bandera-mountain/

Similar conditions as last week -- snow on trail at ~3900 ft, several feet deep and dirt trail is no longer visible. Chances are you can follow a kicked-in path, bring a map if you are not familiar with the area. Be prepared for snow and related conditions, traction devices are advised.

Started out for Bandera early Sunday morning. The lower trail is in great shape. Mason Creek was quite impressive. There was more water than last time I saw it. The first snow patch was at about 3200 ft. Continuous snow started at 3800 ft. The trail was easy to follow in the snow. The snow was firm enough that not to be a problem except for a small section where the trail crossed a partially exposed rock field.

The trail leads to the ridge on the way to Mason Lake. i stopped here for a snack near Ira Spring's plaque. The trail then follows the ridge up to the top of Little Bandera. I didn't see any of the great views the guide book talked about because it was in the middle of a cloud.

Having some extra time, I decided to press on to the top of Bandera. No foot prints continued past Little Bandera. The snow was soft. Snowshoes would have been helpful here. I got to a small wooded peak, then to another peak with exposed rocks and a couple of cairns. I don't know which was the real summit because the visibility was very poor. After the second peak, the ridge kept going down and down so I turned around and followed my footprints back.

It is still winter on Bandera! We hit snow as low as 3200' and by 3800' the route was all snow, and it was snowing fairly hard, so we were finding our route by very faint traces of boot track from the previous weekend. By the time we hit the top, we were in a very winter-like snow storm, so we did not linger. A good day to be sure, (beats being in the office) but be prepared for winter conditions for the next few weeks.

Departed TH @ 1700, weather rainy/windy with a group of 7 hikers. Wide, easily recognizable trail until reaching the snow-line ~3700ft. From here, you need to have a rough idea of the trail location as there were foot-paths in many different directions. Another hiker and myself took the more vertical route towards little bandera while the rest of the group took the indirect route.
I highly recommend using the indirect route as we were post-holing around the rocks, etc and the footing wasn't great in the slush (Felt as if I should've brought an ice-axe in case of a slip/fall). Intersected more foot-paths once we reached the top ridge and followed them along the cornice to the summit @ 1845. Snowing, cold and windy on top.
On the return, followed the normal path direction with some post-holing, etc but nothing major. Bring trekking poles if possible (one of our group didn't bring his and was slipping a lot on the descent). Reached TH @ 2020.
  

Note that this trailhead requires a current recreation pass in order to park. The road was clear to the parking lot, no blow-downs or visible obstructions to the trailhead. The trail was clear until 3200 feet -- at 3800 feet the trail is no longer visible due to snow. The sign at the fork at the trail to Mason Lake vs. Bandera is also under snow.

Be prepared -- I saw many hikers completely unprepared for the level of snow at 3800+ft -- if you are unsure, turn around. It is easy to be mislead by the footsteps unless you have a map and a GPS/compass. At the trail split, one heads up and over the ridge towards Mason Lake, the other up towards Bandera. There was also evidence of small snow-slides through one of the chutes that you must traverse, so know the snow conditions before you depart.

Today, a scout-troup leader kicked steps (thank you!) up the "boulder" field which was under about 20 feet of snow. At the peak, the same is true -- the cornice is probably about 30 ft. over the normal trail

The was a great preparation hike for those of you training for Mt. Rainier -- but for those of you on a leisurely day-hike, be aware that the conditions are not yet spring-like.

Road report:
Road to Ira Spring, Bandera, Mason Lake trailhead is cleared and passable. Lots of reconstruction from last winter's storms. Lots of forest thinning ongoing. Still more work to do on the road. Bandera still has a lot of snow on the exposed south slope - although I did not hike it today. Road is potholed as usual.

A beautiful sunny Feb day. Lots of water flowing down below. Above the switchbacks the snow covered the trail. YAKs were very helpful. At the traverse there was no visible trail so I pushed straight up to the false summit with crampons...tough climb kicking footholds in the ice and cross stepping. The traverse through the forest was icy with no trail again and the open area above the upper trees was hard with a foot of snow covering. I switched to snow shoes at the rocky ridge as it had 5 to 7 ft drifts of snow and I had started post holing. The final ridge to the top was drifted to twenty feet and required some fun traverses through the tree tops. Beautiful day with views of Rainier. Never saw another person all day up or down. Bandera is one of my favorite day hikes.

Checked the Freshest Trip Report before leaving the house this morning and noticed that there was a log blocking Rd 9031 so grabbed chainsaw on the way out. Andy, Monte, Kerrie, Casey, and I got to said log at 9:00am. Cut it into thirds and made it to trailhead.

Beautiful day for snowshoe contrary to weather reports all week. Everything went perfect until we approached an avalanche shoot that took existing trail out. Too steep to traverse across and wind was beginning to cause havoc so we went straight up along tree line. This proved to be quite knarley. Three of the group turned back at about 3500ft. Two of us continued to break trail, another person of a group joined us and continued. At about 4000 ft. waist deep snow turned to ice which made traveling easier but wind continued to scream, guessing 40mph. Ice ax would have been comforting. Eventually, Little Bandera was had at 4900ft and views to Seattle and Bellevue were awesome. Getting to the true summit was not worth the desire considering all the variables.

The exposed ice snowfield on the way down was not especially enjoyable but back in the tree line we were able to slide most of the way to the mainline trail. Trail is very easy to follow all the way down. However, it does not appear on a gps.

The trail's in fine shape, but it's easy to lose on the rocks around 200 ft. below the top. Where the trail seems to disappear as you're ascending, bear right for around 30 ft. (you might see the small cairn we made in that direction) and you'll see where the trail resumes climbing. As a previous report mentioned, there's a little frost near the trail, but it's not an issue for hikers yet.

We found some very aggressive, almost Hitchcockian birds at the summit. I was able to scatter them for a minute at a time by tossing pebbles down the steep face; the birds would hope I was tossing food and dive-bomb down to look for it. Maybe if we do this a few thousand times, they'll swear off people food and go back to looking for worms.

It was mostly cloudy till around noon but we still had a good view of Rainier from the summit and great fall colors along the trail. Then, as I was digging into my leftover dim sum at the summit, the sun came out and stayed out for most of our descent. (Actually, being October in the northwest, it was kind of a dim sun....)

Trail in great shape, of course. Frost and snow starting to appear once ridge line is reached. NW face of Bandera (side facing Mason Lake) has plenty of snow patches.

Amazing day on the trail... if this is the last weekend of 2010 when conditions on this trail will be so good, it went out in a great way. Peak colors (or near peak) on the foliage... made climbing the last bit much more bearable. Views north to Baker, south to Adams (barely), West to Olympics. Skylines of Seattle and Bellevue easily visible. Great day for a great hike.

Pay station on road in closed, as was exit 52 ranger station. Appeared that several people had this issue as they couldn't purchase a day pass, but saw no citations issued as I walked through the lot.

New on the closure list is the Mason Lake Road (Forest Service road 9031) which the Forest Service is closing at milepost 1.85 to vehicle traffic for road repairs. The closure begins on Tuesday, Sept. 7 and goes to Sept. 21. This closure blocks access to the Ira Spring Trailhead, which includes the Ira Spring Trail (Bandera Mountain) and the Mason Lake Trail. Hikers will still be able to the turnoff for FS road 9030, which leads to the Talapus Lake Trailhead. FS road 9031 will be open on the weekends during the closure period. Also, be aware that commercial logging that is happening along FS road 9031, which we first reported back in March. When traveling on this road, be cautious and watchful for logging trucks. For updates, call the Snoqualmie Ranger District at 425-888-1421.

Trail in good condition to the top. This is a great hike for those looking for a one with a long, straight up, climbing a ladder style hike. The beginning is a normal uphill hike, but the latter portion is straight up. The road to the trailhead is in the best shape I've seen it in many years, but it is a dirt forrest road.

See my video from early June. The snow is now gone, of course

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGxoxD54pUg

I decided to hit bandera mountain the last two weekends in a row, July 17 greeted me with overcast skies and fog. Arrived at the trailhead at about 9:30am with 20 cars present. Changed into my boots and headed out. It was very humid out so the sweat was running into my eyes after I hit the steep bits. Passed quite a few folks along the way, including a very annoying guy who had an mp3 player with speakers blasting. Everytime someone passed, he asked if they had requests. I quickly zoomed away!


Arrived at the Bandera cutoff and headed up. Bear grass, tiger lilies,paintbrush, lupine, penstemon, heather are all in bloom! Very stunning up there, about 1/2 way up the scramble, I emerged above the clouds and had a nice view down the valley toward Seattle and also of Mount Rainier. This is the first time I've been to Bandera on a clear day so I was thrilled. Enjoyed a brief lunch with about 3 other parties of 2-3 each. Started back down the hill and found HOARDS of large crowds coming in and away from the Mason lake trail. Really, HOARDS! Groups of 20+ people! Lots of pets too and none were on a leash. Doesn't bother me at all, but some folks are afraid of dogs. Arrived back at the trailhead to find a mile long string of cars parked along the road. Glad I arrived early.

July 24th was a little different. Started out 90 minutes earlier. Lots of people arriving at the trailhead at 8am but still plenty of parking in the main parking area. Passed a lot of folks going up. Met three groups that came down from bandera ahead of me. The wildflowers are still in full bloom and will be for at least another week. Had the top to myself for about 25 minutes when three guys came up followed shortly by two other guys and then three girls. Ate my lunch and headed back down the mountain. Arrived to the parking area to again find a mile long string of cars. Much warmer hiking day, no clouds, and a lot less humid. Will plan on hitting bandera again next weekend; it's a great training hike. See you there!


   

My hike started at Talapus Lake TH and I bushwhacked up Bandera, then I made my way to Mount Defiance via trail. From there I was planning on going all the way to Mailbox Peak but I bailed out at West Defiance.
The only section of trail that wasn't in great shape was the middle third of the climb up Defiance. There was snow and it made the trail muddy in places. Bugs were minimal and the flowers were beautiful. The old trail to Bandera summit is getting quite over grown.

For a full trail report checkout, http://www.adventuresofscatman.com/[…]/

Or for my Hike Report with video and pics check out, http://www.adventuresofscatman.com/2010/07/hike-fail/

Scatman
Get out there!

FS 9031 is open and both the Bandera summit scramble and the Ira Spring trail to Mason Lake are in great shape, clear, and dry. There is still some logging activity going on about 3 miles in on FS 9031 and the machinery has chewed up the road a bit, but it is very passible. The only snow anywhere are remnant patches on north facing slopes. Even Mt. Defiance looks doable now and one hiker today was headed there. Mason Lake is completely ice free.

Somebody really doesn't want us to use the old Mason Lake trail which was always one of my favorites. There is a lot more discouraging branches at both ends and warning signs. The steep 45 degree boot track straight up the side of Bandera is still a challenging scramble. Bandera is not known for wildflowers but at this time of year, every mountain is bursting with floral exhuberance. Enjoy!

There is one big blowdown at Mason Lake just on the other side of the spillway. It fell along the path so people have to clamber through the brush to get around.

Called the Snoqualmie Ranger Station and they said logging operations on road 9031 were scheduled to be completed last week...but found out they are still going on through this week and possibly longer! So this trip to Bandera Mtn had an extra 1.3 miles each way to the trailhead.
The trail is totally snow free to the top (where the trail ends) on the west summit. Snow along the north side of the ridge starts about 4700'.
Ralph brought daughter Katie (11 year old) along and she got to her second peak in two weeks. She is now a member of the Peak-A-Week club.
Wildflowers are blooming below 4000' and Bear Grass is just starting to bloom on the upper slopes. Don't forget to stop and smell the Bear Grass inflorescence, one of the most aromatic flowers in the cascades.
http://www.flickr.com/[…]/

Ughh...Bandera is definitely not a hike for "creaky knees". This could be a great hike for ALL age groups if the NFS would actually BUILD A TRAIL with switchbacks. As it is, once you fork off the nicely graded Mason Lake trail, it goes relentlessly STRAIGHT UP. A rather miserable hike. It might have been worth the trouble if the weather cooperated, but the fog never lifted, and at best there was 30 feet visibility. Recommend you go somewhere else especially if the weather is bad.

FS 9031 is closed to car and foot traffic, M-Th and Fri before 1PM, until approximately July 1. This is per the work crew I met on 6/14 when trying to reach the trail head. The road will be open Fri 1PM, Sat, and Sun.

I did this hike two weeks ago and saw quite a bit of change! There are a few yellow trilliums blooming here and there (which I didn't see two weeks ago). Also the snowpack at the top has melted out considerably. There is very little snow at the top and what is left is very slushy. There is quite a bit of dirt built up on the well worn sections to the final overlook. If you go. Don't forget to check out the view to the North. Mason Lake and Island Lake are both very much frozen over still and it is beautiful. The surface of Mason Lake looks like the Martian polar ice caps. Lots of people starting their hike around 9am-10am so if you show up earlier or later you can avoid the rush and get a better parking spot. The parking lot was overfilled. I cannot wait to do this hike when the wildflowers and huckleberries are blooming!

Just did this hike today. The trail is dry most of the way except some snow around the top but it's easy enough to follow in other people's footsteps. I left the parking lot around 8 and was the first group of people to reach the top. It took me about 2 hrs up and 1.5 hr down. By the time I reached the parking lot again the lot was beyond full. It's a really nice day to go on this hike and I had a great time!

I 90, exit 45.Elevation gain 3000 foot.Lenght 7 mi.Trail has 3 section, from start : easy,hard then hardest.1/2 mi to top snow on treail.Nice teritorial view. including masson lk,today all covered with snow.Note , road #9031 is closed sometimes because roed work.you may not be able to park on parking lot.so park on the road somewhere. Or better, take exit 42,then go RIGHT and park the car,then walk over friway to dead end ,then walk up to road #9031.

Great hike to the summit. Warm, sunny day with fantastic views of Mt Rainier. Snow after the steep rocky portion, but manageable without snowshoes. Hiking poles would've been helpful, but again, manageable without. 4 hours out and back, hiking slowly and with a leisurely stop at the top.

The forest service road was in good condition, so no problem getting to the trailhead. There were already eight cars in the lot when I got there at 8:45. Trail was snow-free until just past the Bandera Mountain/Mason Lake junction, about 500 feet up the steep hill.

Microspikes helped a ton, although they were not not necessary. Snowshoes were not needed either. The dog and I were the first ones at the summit, followed by three more parties.

Got started at 10am on a beautiful sunny day. First section of trail was very dry with no mud anywhere, after the first 1.5 or 2 mi started to encounter snow. Snow is constant on the trail for about a half mile before trail splits to either go up Bandera or around to Mason lake.

We headed up to Bandera with lots of snow on the hill. Snow was firm at this time, about 1130am, and some rocks and grasses starting to poke through. No postholing. We made this ascent with hiking boots and poles, but a set of crampons or snowshoes would really have been nice.

Upon reaching the ridge and turning towards the peak, we found full snow coverage. This was really territory for ice axe, snowshoes, etc, but we persevered. We made the "false summit", and due to continuing heavy snow conditions to the official summit along a narrow snowy ridge, we decided to go no further. Ice axe and traction footing strongly recommended beyond this point.

After lunch we headed back down, and found the snow softening up quite a bit by 1230. Postholing became somewhat problematic on the steep descent through softer snow, but our boots came out really clean :)

BE CAREFUL and carry an axe if you do this hike in the next few weeks!

Both the road and the trail were in good condition - with the understanding that Forest road 9030 is a logging road. The weather was pretty wet for the hike and there was snow on the trail at the 2/3 mark. Enough snow to require traction devices for your hiking boots. About 300-400 vertical feet from the top has approximately 2-feet of fresh wet snow. The trail at this point disappears and my group (Boy Scout Troop 594 in Maple Valley) decided to turn back and head for a dryer/warmer environment.

Will retry this hike in couple of weeks when the snow level is much less so that we can complete it.

Happy Trails

Wow, we weren't expecting this much snow!

Usually we're more prepared and check conditions prior to taking off, but this time we just up and went. Neither of us had climbed Bandera before. Of all the hikes to not wear my boots for...

Roughly the second half of the trail is dominated by snow. After you switch back heading west, be prepared for patches of snow. It gets heavier as you get closer to the boulder fields. By the time you get to the boulder fields, you'll find a very slick, narrow (about 8 inches) trail. One wrong step and your head's on the rocks, so poles are recommended. That is unless you have excellent balancing skills, unlike myself.

Once you make it to the Mason Lake/Bandera trail junction, you'll see half the face covered in snow, and the rest is rocks and grass. Unfortunately the trail was covered in snow. Nearly impossible to climb without boots and poles. It was very slushy too.

Many people didn't stick to the trail, but instead climbed the snow free area, using rocks and grass roots for hand-holds.

We only made it to the false summit. The 'scramble' was too risky and covered in snow. We hiked on one of the clearest days yet, so the views of Rainer and the cascades were staggering. Mason Lake was completely covered in snow. Beea-uutiful!

Auto approach: One can easily drive to the summer trailhead.
Best route: Follow summer trail to the Mason Lake - Bandera Mountain junction. Follow the Mason Lake trail for about 100 yards and then - leaving the trail - head pretty much straight up on very pleasant snow. Continue up until you rejoin the Bandera summer trail just before the ridge crest.
Destination: end of summer trail at false summit.
Snow conditions: continuous snow began at about 3900 feet; snowshoes are not necessary; ice axes or poles are desirable; crampons are not needed.
Weather: good - mostly sunny; little wind.
Companions: Mike and Amy.
Trip time (car to car): 4 hr 30 min

Little Bandera Mountain is a great local destination for any scramblers out there, but it it not quite ready for a typical hiker. Snow begins about halfway up, or about 2/3 of the way to the junction with Mason Lake trail. When you are on the final switchback and are hiking east to the junction,about halfway up the switchback, most of the footprints veer off to the left and go straight up the slope over snow and boulders and head toward the top of the ridge, Little Bandera's western arm. Follow those prints because the route they will lead you on is much easier than the actual route. Climb a bit over the boulders and you will reach the trail that leads west to Mason Lake. You will notice prints continue north up the slope. The route from here is non-technical but pretty steep and tiring, so pace yourself! About halfway from that trail to the top of the ridge, start moving a bit diagonally (NE) up towards the summit so you avoid the trees. You should see plenty of footprints. Just keep going and you will make it to the ridge crest. Then continue east up the slopes to the summit of Little Bandera Mountain. The route to the main summit of Bandera is snowed in and looked pretty dangerous. Do not attempt until more snow melts. Besides, the views from Little Bandera are good enough, as you will see. Views include Kaleetan and Chair Peaks, Granite mountain, McClellan Butte, Mt. Kent, Mt. Si, the Middle Fork Valley, North Bend, the Olympics, Bellevue, and Seattle.

The weather was great, allowing decent views. The trail was mostly snow covered with well packed snow, with a bit of exposure just before the Bandera/Mason Lake intersection, so an ice axe is advisable. The trail past the intersection was almost all snow covered so you'll have to improvise a path, but the summit is obvious so no problem there. Near the top the exposure is more serious so the ice axe is a must-have. The snow was solid enough that I was glad to use crampons on the way down.

The road to the trailhead was good.

Great day for a hike. Last time I attempted this trail (in July I think) the road had 3 washouts and we parked about 200 yards from the trailhead at the last of the washouts. That damage has been repaired - there is still some caution signs around one washout towards the beginning of the access road, but this is easily passable.

Trail is clear, we saw no one on the way up and perhaps 4 groups on the way down - some of whom were heading to Mason Lake. As much as I like dogs, PLEASE leash them on the trail. And clean up after them!!

Just after the junction with the Mason Lake trail, the "stairmaster" section was slightly harder than I remember it from last time (or I'm less fit) but we made good time regardless - an hour and a half to the top, a half hour for some lunch, and an hour back down.

Beautiful views, particularly towards Rainier.

Hiked up to Bandera Mountain today from the Ira Spring Trailhead. Road to the trailhead has been fixed well, we got up in a small car with no problems. Got to the trailhead about 10am, and it was full. There are a few large washouts from the winter along the trail, but have been cleaned up and are easily passed. After the turnoff to Bandera, the trail changes dramatically, becoming steeper and less defined. Some parts were almost steep enough to have to scramble up (fun but nothing too difficult). I liked this section a lot, it takes you through alpine meadows and has great views including Mt Rainier. Eventually you reach a rocky ridge, which you can follow to the summit of Bandera. From the top there is a nice view down to Mason Lake and across to Mt. Defiance, and looking South there is Mt. Rainier and Adams, along with many others. This was my first time to Bandera (i've hiked to Mason Lake and Mt. Defiance before), and I liked it a lot. It took us about 4 to 4 1/2 hours total.

This was the first hike that I have ever done and it was a blast. The views were beautiful, it was fun climbing over boulders, and was overall a great hike! The road up to the trail head was actually in pretty good shape. My friend drove his Hyundai Accent up to the parking lot without too much trouble. A few pot holes here and there, but that was about it. It looks like they have fixed the damage the road previously had, so there was nothing to worry about.

When we started we were under the clouds and it was a bit cool. The beginning of the trail is a very easy gradual incline. It gets steeper as you go, but it wasn't too hard at all. Eventually we came up through the clouds and got some awesome views of the surrounding mountains poking up out of the clouds.

Following the trail you will run into a few switchbacks, one which leads you over a huge rock chute. Once you cross that, you will get to a fork with a sign. To the left the trail goes to Mason Lake, and up is Bandera Mountain. We went toward Bandera Mountain which leads up into the meadows. This is where it got a bit tough. We were on all fours for some of it, clambering up through the boulders and the grass. Although tiring, it was really fun and the flowers were pretty. Sadly though, the bear grass is all gone now. All that remains is empty stalks. I was really hoping to see it.

Once you get up through the meadow you'll pass through some trees and arrive at huge boulders to climb over. We lost the trail at one point, but after climbing up the boulders some more we spotted it again to our right. From there on you head up to the false summit at Little Bandera Mountain and then on to the actually summit just a short distance away. The view was amazing! Absolutely worth the trek up and was perfect for my first hike. The summit has a few trees surrounding it, but you still get a fantastic view.

We had lunch at the summit and then headed down. Going down was rough on the knees and I swear my toes almost busted through my boots, but we made it without incident. Just watch your footing through the meadow on the way down.

It took us two and a half hours to get to the top and about an hour and a half to get back down. The trail is a bit dusty. My legs and shorts had dust all over them at the end. There was no snow at all and there are still some really pretty flowers out. We had bug spray on, which helped with the bugs. Although there weren't that many, I think it could have been a problem without it.

More pictures here: http://www.flickr.com/[…]/

I joined Gary for an after work hike up Bandera Mountain. Gary has been up Bandera more times than me but had not been to the real summit. I did the hike exactly one year earlier and the beargrass was at its peak. The only draw back was the southern facing route on an 85 degree day. The road to the Mason Lake/Bandera trailhead had washed out over the winter in three places. Reports were that the first one was easy to get around, the next one was okay with higher clearance, and the third stopped most folks. We expected an extra third of a mile hike to the parking lot. In fact, the road has very recently been repaired. There were 4 or 5 cars in the lot when we arrived just before 3:00 pm.

The first 1 1/2 miles are in forest and kept the sun at bay somewhat. I knew that Mason Creek had washed away much of the old road/trail but was very surprised to see that there was another huge washout just before the creek. The hillside is completely untouched above the trail but completely gone below. A new trail was been carved out of the hillside to allow easy passage. At Mason Creek the culvert is still there but most of the road around it is gone. It's just hanging there now. All the dirt slid down to a smooth rock slab.

The few beargrass down low were spent. Only the stalks remained. We saw some lupine and paintbrush plus a few other flowers in the forest. When we emerged from the forest the heat really hit me. We had set a good pace up to there but I slowed dramatically in the heat. When we reached the Bandera junction it felt like 95 degrees. The next stretch is the remnant of the old straight up the fall line trail to Bandera. No switchbacks here. Gary took off to get in his work out and I crawled up the slope.

As we ascended the beargrass became better and better. Near the ridge they were just about at their peak. There were some paintbrush, lupine, and tiger lilies mixed in too. Gary was waiting at the ridge top and we continued on together. One last bit of shade in a short forest section then back out into the sun. It took me just about two hours to reach the false summit. We took a short break and then it was on to the real summit. I found the break in the rocks taking us back to the southern slope. The route is mostly on the south side near or at the crest. We found even more beargrass over there and it was all at its peak. Many photos were taken.

My two previous trips had some snow on the crest. This time it was nearly snow free and I found that a trail works its way over to the north side near the low point in the ridge. This worked well and soon we were back on the ridge crest. We climbed around the next false summit and soon reached the boulder fields. We made quick work of the rocks and soon were on the summit. There was just a little breeze here. Island Lake sits just below the summit. Pratt, Granite, Kaleetan, Chair and other peaks are all around. It was nearly 6:00 pm when we arrived. Now it felt like it was down to only 94 degrees.

At least the route back was almost all downhill. As with my two previous visits we managed to lose the route coming back. Again we had to head straight uphill to get back on route. At least we found the false summit okay. The steep section back to the Mason Lake junction is a real knee basher. With the heat I was going just as slow as the ascent. Back on trail the situation improved markedly. The Ira Spring Trail is smooth and nicely graded. We reached the bottom well before 9:00. We did pass by Scott's Dairy Freeze just after 9:00 and it was closed. A not so minor disappointment.

Starting off in the heat of the afternoon on an open southern slope on a trail that ends going straight uphill with big steps is not my favorite thing to do. This trail is worth it though as the flowers and amazing beargrass display is stunning. Gary said it was the best beargrass display he has seen and I concur. Throw in a bit of a scramble and it was worth the pain and heat. A fun summer afternoon after a day of work.

Photos have been posted at: http://www.hikingnorthwest.com. Go to "Trips-2009" on the left margin.

Hard to believe I've been hiking this long and this was my first trip to Mt. Defiance. I've cut across the shoulder of it coming back from Putrid Petes but never took the side trip to the top. And I didn't even intend to today! My ankle still felt weird from last week so I opted to hike to Mason Lake. I felt alright in my sneakers at a slow pace so I needed something gentle and easy. Along the way I passed MiddleE heading towards Kaleetan.

The road was pretty rough. Less than a mile after the Talapus road turn off is a little dip that stopped a few very low cars. Another washout further on was more difficult but my Outback made it through, I just had to dip down into the ditch for some tippy driving. I didn't try the final washout since it's only a quarter mile from there to the trailhead. Later more than one large 4x4 drove through. I parked on the side and walked onward.

My pace would have made Slugman proud. I deliberately went slow to avoid aggravating my ankle. Great flower show on the Bandera slopes! Tons of bear grass, I've never seen so many in one place! It was very dry and hot until I reentered the forest, dropping to Mason lake. Already there were three or four tents setup here. This was my initial goal for the day but my ankle felt good enough so I walked onwards to Defiance. Even nicer flowers high up on the slopes here! A little bear grass, lots of lupine, paintbrush, and a few tiger lilies thrown in. It was toasty and crowded on the summit so I didn't stay too long, starting my slow trip back down.

I had to be extra careful walking down, my sneakers didn't provide too much traction in the dry dirt tread. Happily I made it back to Mason without slipping anywhere. At the lake it was so warm I made a half-hearted attempt to go swimming but chickened out after wading in knee deep. Still, the water felt very refreshing on my sore feet. There were several more tents with a few more backpackers on the way. I couldn't believe the number of hikers heading up with the trailhead isn't even reachable by car!

Back at the road cars were lining both sides all cattywumpus. It was a tight squeeze just to get out of my parking area. I overheard another hiker saying she had more than a mile road walk back to her little Honda Fit. I gave her a lift, hating road walking myself. Cars were parked right up against the middle washout forcing me to go even further into the ditch to get by. Always fun to use my Outback the way they show in the commercials.

Road report: Most cars should get through the first small washout but the second more was stopping some Honda/Toyota sedans. The last one was passed my a beatup little Honda Civic but I'd bring a Subaru or truck. The big washout is doable in a 4x4 but is only ~ 1/4 mile from the trailhead.

Trail conditions: Snow free! No snow all the way up Bandera and all the camps around Mason are fully thawed. Only one tiny snow patch going up Defiance. Looking back from the summit I could see Mason, Kulla Kulla, Rainbow, Blazer, Island, and lower Tuscohatchie lakes were all thawed.

Photos here: http://www.pbase.com/billcat/mtdefiance1/