Excelsior Pass Trail (Mile 41.2 off Mount Baker Highway) Snow Report: Trail is dry to about 2,800'. Patches of snow between 2,800' and 3,500'. Above 3,500' the trail is mostly covered with snow, decently packed (didn't use snowshoes). Saw the last sign of the summer trail at 3,800'. Beyond that, it was all snow. Snowed on us a bit. Lots of freshly fallen snow above 4,000', at least a few inches. Postholing (about a foot deep) became too tiring, so we turned around at 4,600'.

I can't believe that more people don't do this hike during the summer time! We ended up at the Excelsior Pass trailhead today because we couldn't get to the Church Mountain or Goat Mountain trailhead due to ice and snow on the FRs. There was immediately 2-4 inches of fresh powder on the trail but the trail was easy to follow because of foot prints. The snow actually made this a more enjoyable given the last time I hiked this trail was early summer and the trail was rocky and was essentially a mini creak for most of the way up. The snow gradually increased to about 2-3 feet but we followed foot prints to where the trail starts paralleling the draw that leads up to the pass and where Excelsior Peak is first visible. This was as far as the last group had ventured into the snow. It took us 2 hr 15 min to get to this point. Although the trail easily visible as an indentation in the snow and a distinct clear path through the trees, no one had ventured pass this point since the snow. We trekked through 3-4 deep snow about 45 minutes more along the summer trail to get to the pass where we stopped. Snow shoes would've been super helpful but I'm pretty light so I didn't sink in deep than my knees. The view from the top was pretty but pretty limited. It probably would've been much better from the peak. 1 hr 40 min back to the car and the snow made it much easier on the knees.

I had gaiters, poles, and microspikes which helped A LOT. Snowshoes would've been super helpful once the old foot prints ended. It was a quiet day hike that I enjoyed being the only group on the trail.

Our original plan had been to come in on Canyon Creek road and hike the Damfino Lakes trail to Excelsior Pass and across to Welcome Pass. This plan was thwarted when we found out that the CAnyon Creek road has been closed due to washouts, likely for at least this season. So the fallback was to leave a car at Excelsior trail and bring the other cars to the Welcome Pass TH where we started the traverse. This turned out to be a very good plan, as the climb to Welcome Pass (68 switchbacks, 3500', 2.5 miles) went quickly and the trail was in very good shape. Arriving at the pass we saw the first of the incredible flower fields that would accompany us the entire day. Turning west to follow the high divide we found very good trail conditions, little snow, panoramic views to Baker, Shuksan and beyond, and FLOWERS, OMG!! The trail wandered along the ridgetop, with modest ups and downs, for approx 5 miles. We took a short side trip to the top of Excelsior Peak, then went back down and traversed around the front (south) of the peak to Excelsior Pass where we found some people camping - the first of the day. From there (with a big sigh to leave the loveliness of the ridge) we headed down the 4.5 miles along the Excelsior trail to the car. I would strongly recommend going up Welcome and down Excelsior - the trail going down was rocky with big steps in places, much better going up the other end. Very few bugs, even 3 ripe huckleberries!!

Met several folks coming out who spent the night on the High Divide. Seems we spent lots of time in the woods, some nice rock cliffs and outcrops, and the waterfall/ water slide part way up help.... flowers, so many flowers, when the trail breaks out in the open finally. The views from the old look out site, and along the High Divide trail are worth the walk. Mt Baker, and Shuksan, Church, Tomihoi, Larrabee, a slew of mountains off in Canada, and all those ridges and valleys between. Plus only 2 o 3 other hikers, now that the easy, back door trail is not accessible.