Denny Creek trail open to Melawka Lake. no snow (ok, a tiny patch three feet wide). a litlle mud at the top. Easy stream crossings. Heck, there was even a ranger waiting around at the lower Denny Creek crossing giving everyone a hand.

A tail of three trails. I did my yearly Pratt/Melakwa/Denny ""loop"" closing it with a short downhill bike glide. A nice 15mi/3000 day hike. The trail to Pratt Lake is in wonderful shape and snow-free (a rarity this year). The trail to Lower Tuskahootchie (I can't pronounce or spell it) is only slightly overgrown. Hadn't seen a soul to this point but the family ""cavorting"" about 1/3 around the lake broke that enviable trend. The ""trail"" to Melakwa Lake was very overgrown with lots of thorny brush. Thankfully the brush was not too wet, but it was rather slow going. Encountered the normal mid-week hordes at still somewhat snow-bound Melakwa Lake. I retreated to the upper tarn for a dip but there were too many icebergs. Got semi-naked on a rock and enjoyed the masssive walls. The upper 1/3 of the trip down the Denny Creek trail was a chore. More snow than expected and lots of trees down. Some hero jumps were required to cross some raging streams. Lots of water running down the switchbacks. There was even still some significant snow at the upper log crossing. The lower crossing at the slabs below the falls was on a rather rotten and slippery narrow log. Lots of tourists encountered on lower trail, including a German in sandals wondering where the snow started. Much better than a day at the office!

The trail is mostly snow free. There are snow patches after the second creek crossing at 2.3 miles, and on the slope ascending Hemlock Pass. There are some areas in need of brushing on the switchbacks between the waterslides and Keekwulee Falls and on the switchbacks climbing Hemlock Pass. The snow near Hemlock Pass was very soft and an ice axe was not needed. There is enough of the trail exposed to confirm the route. Melakwa Lake is 60% snow covered, Upper Melakwa is 20% snow covered. All the windfalls before the waterslides at 1.1 miles have been logged out. There are at least eight more, between ten and thirty inches in diameter beyond that point. The creek at the waterslides has subsided to a low enough level for safe crossing. Trillium, glacier lily, columbine, yellow violet, salmonberry and lupine were noted. Mosquitoes are emerging. There are a few snow free sites at Melakwa Lake.

Started around 4:00 pm at Denny Creek. Beautiful weather( about 80). Several other cars there and rangers were giving out tickets for those that were permitless (shame on them). Trail was in good shape with some snow patches for the first 4 miles. Then we encountered some mini-falls (on the switchbacks after the second falls) that made the trail their home (or vice versa). A couple of blow downs on the trail and one difficult area to pass. During the last set of switchbacks on the ascent snow makes the trail difficult to follow in places and beginners can easily loose thier way. The lake is still mostly frozen and coolllddd... But on a hot day it is sort of refreshing to jump in and out.

The route from Melakwa lakes to Melakwa Pass is completely snow-covered at this time, which makes travel extremely fast and easy. Our recommended route to Kaleetan Peak is a follows: work up the valley into the last basin before Melakwa Pass, approx 5200' (topo does not show basin feature well). Take the left hand talus slope (snow) towards the peak, in a counter-clockwise sweep, to the head of the snow chute. Ice ax recommended, as runout is dangerous. Travel a short ways up slabs to a second snow field, work up this to small ridge of slabby granite, this can be then followed to the main summit ridge. You are then minutes away from the summit, following the climbers path to the summit rocks. No snow on main ridge. 5.5 hours to summit.