This trail is open again and the improvements are wonderful, thank you to all those who have obviously worked so hard on this trail!  It looks like the work is not done, as there are still some supplies up there.  There have been improvements on drainage, new stairs put in, old growth blowdowns cleared (which looked like it required some trail re-routing), and the rocky open section has been widened and mostly flattened out. 

The trail was really wet, as expected, but no snow until almost to the lake.  The lake itself had some icy/slushy crust but not frozen over, and the board walk is semi-passable. I recommend hiking poles and traction if you choose to go all the way around.  I got about a third of the way around in hiking boots, but the mound of snow on the boardwalk was half thawed and kept breaking and sliding, so it was a little un-fun and I enjoyed my lunch and came back the same way.

There were a couple new blowdowns but easily negotiated. I feel like this trail is longer than 5.4 miles now, but maybe it was my Apple Watch. I got 6.45 miles without going all the way around the lake, and the trail says 5.4.  I did check out the waterfalls, and a little back and forth filming, but not that much.

Our group of four hopped on the trail around 7:30 am, finding spaces still available for parking. It was a beautiful, cool morning! By time we got to the long, rocky switchbacks, the sun was already shining intensely. My 65 year old body really appreciated the aid of hiking poles, most especially on the way down. Some of the large rocks made stepping up and down challenging for me at times. That said, I found the trek quite doable. :)

The forest was beautiful, with some trickles of water to cross. I was wearing summer hiking shoes and never got my feet wet. 

Lake 22 really is a gorgeous destination! We were lucky that the trail was not too busy with people, making the experience around the lake relaxing. (I think people saw the notice on Maps that the trail might be closed. It did close 5 days later until October.) 

Beautiful lake atop the hill. Hike wasnt too tough, but there is a section that's essentially all rocks about halfway up. Make sure to watch your footing there.

Few obstacles, very minor

This was a challenging but beautiful hike. Since it was July 4th, the trail was quite busy so parking was an issue. Luckily there is a picnic area and interpretative trail nearby which provides additional parking options instead of along the road. The trail was easily navigated and there are a lot of idyllic water crossings and lovely trees along the way. The most difficult part is right in the middle when the trail climbs a ridge and is extremely rocky and has limited to no cover from the sun. I would have suffered without my hiking boots with ankle support and wished I would have had poles to help with balance. After the rocks, you go back into the forest to finish the hike up to the lake. In total, the trail took me a little over 5 hours, accounting for the hour or so at the lake enjoying the view.