After my last recent walk here, I decided to bring my 6yo kiddo out for some sunlight. The paved road is now completely clear; some navigable potholes in the gravel section, but nothing I couldn’t dodge easily. No slush, ice, or snow.

The few fallen logs across the trail are easy for able-bodied hikers and children to step over (or under), and would be minimally challenging for handheld mobility aids. Almost no mud. 

The ledges really grab every drop of winter sun— we sat there soaking it in for almost an hour. We found another little sunbather too, a groggy garter snake who really enjoyed sitting on a warm human lap for a while! (If you interact with wildlife, please be sure that you handle it safely and return it to exactly where you found it; if you’re not very familiar with safe handling, it’s best just to enjoy with your eyes alone. Garter snakes are NOT venomous and very rarely bite at all, but they do require safe body weight support, have delicate bones, and are highly vulnerable to predation by birds at this time of year.)

Excellent

Trail in good condition. A few fallen trees over the trail that were easy to navigate. Nice view of dramatic clouds and valley from the top.

Garmin measured 2.1 miles roundtrip and 650' total ascent.

Middle Fork Road— in great condition, one large tree down that has been cleared from one lane, easy to pass. Some slush on the last quarter mile after maintenance ends, with potholes, but you can either park just before the slush & walk, or drive right through it if your car is tolerant of slush.

Trail— great condition, minimal mud, with a few downed trees that were easy to step over. 

Accessibility— not a wheelchair-compatible trail but could be easily navigated with handheld mobility aids, even with the downed trees, as long as your mobility aid works with stairs. The first flight of stairs has high rises, about 18”, after which the stairs have a more conventional rise. Views accessible from flat gravel area with minimal slip risk. Incline is greater than minimal but much less than moderate, with many standing spots to catch breath. Few sitting spots aside from logs and rocks. Vault toilets open & maintained. ADA parking at trailhead.

This was a great post New Year Hike. Still quite manageable and only a dusting of snow on the trail. The trees were dripping on us most of the way and they view was off and on due to dense clouds rolling up the valley. All in all a great outing for early January.