Ran the 10k with Beast of Big Creek Trail Run. Trail was in excellent condition, waterways are full and beautiful, lots of shade even in the hot 85 degree weather. Only major problem was that there were TONS of territorial horse flies. Very aggressive, managed to not get any bites but if there is a repellent available for them be sure to bring it!

The campground is open, and Big Creek Trail is in great shape with recent brushing (could still use more), logs cleared, bridge over No Name Creek repaired (wow!), and those fabulous new bridges at the confluence. There are lots of flowers blooming now, a focus of the photos from our hike on this drizzly Sunday: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51278183@N05/sets/72157630378247236/. Eschewing our normal route, we hiked the trail clockwise and soon encountered a horrible sight. Many acres of ugly clearcut right by the trail marred the beauty and wilderness of this special place. Boo! I am glad we encountered this at the start of our hike so the rest of the way helped cleanse the experience. But it was a vivid reminder of the continuing need for advocacy to protect our sacred places and require responsible forestry.

This trail was in great shape. It was a bit of an overcast day but the tall forest came in really handy because it really rained for about 30 minutes but we got minimally wet. Our group wasn't prepared for the fact that the elevation gain early on is fairly constant until the halfway point, but at least the way back down was nice and easy. I look forward to doing this trail again on a day where we can enjoy the viewpoints of Mt. Washington.

Big Creek Campground is closed but the trail and campground are still easily accessible, you must just park in front of the gate or along the road. Went to do the loop on one of our first sunny days and found the place packed! Luckily I got a late start and many of the people there were families just exploring the camp or hikers ending their jaunt and heading home. Opted for starting the hike by going left and immediately crossing the river. Work has already been done on the trail to clear it, so there were very few blow downs and all bridges were clear of snow and debris. Snow was encountered at Branch Creek but the trail is well packed and easy to follow. At the most, there was 5 inches and just when you are getting sick of it the snow vanishes. All in all, a great hike for the season and bound to only get better as more leaves and flowers bloom.

Road clear, parking lot still snowy, room on street to safely park. If you travel the trail counter clockwise, the first bridge you encounter has a major blow down on it. Still looks sturdy to me and you can scramble over it. I prefer the other direction, so it was the last bridge for me, no way was I turning around and retracing the route. Boot traction devices recommended. Thanks to a large group who had hiked the trail the day before, the trail was mostly compact snow and ice groove after the first mile or so and some of the bridges still had a 2 -3 feet of snow on them. Out side the tracks the snow was still a couple of feet or more in places. Micro spikes were perfect for the conditions. I did see one set of snow shoe tracks. Beautiful, sunny morning hike.