The new trail work/improvements on this trail are outstanding - thank you to those crews for all the hard work.

As others have stated - there is significant water/streams on portions of the trail, and a few blow-downs (navigatable and being worked on). 

There is no snow accumulation on any part of the talus slope that we could see (~2 miles from TH) at this time - so there is currently no AVY risk in that area. There is some snow on the steep slopes in the cirque at the lake and there is evidence of recent small slides. We decided not to circumvent the lake. 

There is packed snow (icy this morning) on the ~last 1/3rd mile before the lake. Our group used microspikes but poles might also be enough. 

We arrived at the TH around 9a. There were a lot of cars in the lot, but still spaces available. The toilets had toilet paper.

The new trail is great. There is so much to admire! Thank you so much to the people who did it!

There is some snow on the trail near the top. We put on micro spikes but most people just had regular shoes and boots and seemed to do fine.

There is a lot of water on the trail. I recommend waterproof shoes or boots. At a minimum bring a change of shoes and socks for your drive home because your feet will be wet in regular shoes.

It was a good hike, as long as you were dressed appropriately. I had waterproof boots and was glad. The water was trickling on the trail in many places and some areas were very muddy, but not bad with boots. Higher up, you hit snow, but it wasn't slippery so I didn't put on my micro spikes. The views were gorgeous and well worth it! 

Beautiful strong waterfalls surround your hike. Lots of moving water on the trail in several places. Last half mile or so is walking completely covered in snow and compacted ice.

Quick Stats:

1,360 ft ascent

6.14 miles round trip from the parking lot to the lake

3:05 total time from the parking lot back to the parking lot, with several breaks.

The parking lot was easy to access and was directly off of mountain loop highway. No pot holes or other concerns with the road. I started hiking around 10:30-11 and the lot was nearly full but there were still spots remaining.

The trail has had a lot of work done on it. There are new bridges and steps that were out in place. Older blowdowns have been cleared but there are still a few blowdowns that need to be crossed. Construction is still ongoing. I saw construction equipment, lumber and gravel piles along (or in some cases, directly across) the trail.

The day started out rainy and got worse as the day went on. Nearby rivers and waterfalls were rushing - in some cases, over the trail, with deep puddles and 1-3” of moving water. Many of the wooden steps quickly became fish ladders, which made the descent more difficult than I anticipated. The trail was snow free until the top. The wooden trail over the top was mostly covered in snow and ice. Had it been a nicer day, I would have put on microspikes and gone around the lake but the rain was too strong at that point so I turned back down after a short break.

The trail seems to be longer now than what’s reported on WTA. I hiked 6.14 miles from the parking lot to the top, with only a small walk along part of the lake, which differs  from the 5.4 mile round trip reported on WTA.