Beautiful day, nice flower show up to heather pass and my friends made it the whole way around the loop with only a few walkable snow patches

We did a day hike of the maple pass loop. We did it counter clockwise as most other people do. There were some patches of snow even in the parking lot. But the trail was snow free for most of the first part till we get the clear view of Lake Ann. Lake Ann is melted out and was sparkling in the sunlight. Beautiful waterfalls around Lake Ann from the snow-capped peaks added to the beauty. There were very few people we saw on the trail. The side trip to Heather pass was snow-covered and no trails are visible. But since we have been here before, we carefully went through the snow to see frozen Lake Lewis. Then we began going up maple pass. The trail from here on was mostly snow covered. Route finding skills are not needed, because there are some good boot tracks, and by following those, we could reach Maple pass easily. There were a few exposed sections, but having poles for balance would suffice. Ice axe is a good idea, but just poles alone should do. We decided to complete the loop inspite of the snow cover. We knew the rough route, and there were some good boot-tracks to follow as well. Lots of snow in climbing the ridges after maple-pass, but it was fun. We glissaded several sections of the trail on the way back. Rainy Lake is also melted out, and looked turquoise blue. Overall a great hike. We enjoyed stopping over several times to have snacks and food, all with great views. (Photos will be added soon).

So many trail reports have been filed for this hike, this seems a little redundant, but... summed up, Go Snow Trax Poles. Snow hiking from Heather Pass on. We hiked up to Maple Pass to have lunch with a view of Glacier Peak, turned around, and went back down the same way we came up. We did'nt want to go down the steep side, not knowing if it was icy. Bring Trax if you have them, we didn't. Sunny day, Great hike, and nice well mannered and friendly dogs.

Not a lot to add to previous reports. We found traction devices to be helpful in several places though plenty of folks hiked without any. Trail is quite well beaten in. We did the loop with a late start at 12:30. Snow started about Heather Pass but continued much lower down on the Rainy Lake side. Photos at http://mtnlover.smugmug.com/Landscapes/Larches/Maple-Pass-Loop-2011/19582942_P3MztL#1533933667_pWH4fPD

Lots of folks had the same idea today ... at least 100 cars in the parking lot! Not a surprise, given 1) Perfect fall weather, 2) On a Saturday! and 3) One of the top larch trails in the state. The trail is snow covered starting about half way up, and became icy late in the afternoon during our descent. Trekking poles for sure, and traction devices if you have them, will make the going a lot easier. There is about a foot of snow at the pass. The white blanket of snow, blue skies, and golden larch made for a photographer's paradise. The light dusting of snow on the steep mountain faces works kind of like fingerprint powder in the way it outlines textural details. The next few days promise the same great weather. Go now, winter is fast approaching!