Gate is closed and there is limited parking in front. No problems going up, it was a good workout for me maybe easier for younger folks.

Snow after the halfway point, no problems getting up. Deep snow at the top, no snowshoes. Traveled down to the southern side which you could see Seattle and just a little of Mt. Rainier. It was overcast most of the day but no rain. On the way down I put on my micro spikes because of the 20% grade glad I did. Other than that, it was a great hike and well worth the trip from Tacoma.

Gate is closed, but the short amount of road has a few inches of snow. Low clearance vehicles can still park along the highway if needed. Trail is almost completely covered with hard packed snow. Although one could succeed with boots and poles on the ascent, micro spikes recommended for the descent unless you want to practice some glissading (standing or sitting). Summit has a foot or more of snow with a hard packed path.

Mount Walker – 3.4.2023

Originally planned for Mount Rose but I couldn't even reach the trailhead. It was dumping hard in the morning and the roads were icy! Pretty good bootpack as of 3/4. I think there has been a bit more snow since then. I was socked in but the snowshoeing was great!

Latest update for Mount Walker. Snow was down to Highway 101. Thin, compacted snow on the trail. Lower elevation showed signs of freeze/thaw cycles. On steeper sections it was icy sometimes. Microspikes were adequate. Snow at the north summit lookout was a good foot deep. Based on the footprints, this was a turnaround point for many. We trekked down to the south lookout. A party of 4 had broken a fresh trail before us. Once there, we had lunch on the benches with lots of Gray Jays for company. Wanting to spice things up, we donned snowshoes and scrambled down through the trees to the road. One lone ski track was evident in the pristine snow. Conditions were perfect for snowshoeing on the road back down to our starting point. Our route was about 7 miles, 2000 feet gain. 

The upper slopes of Mt Walker was hammered with 1-2 feet of light fluffy snow Wed.   The parking area is snow covered. The trail is snow covered the entire way.  I broke trail all the way to about the 2700 foot level, about 3/10 mile before the summit, snow was almost knee deep at that point.    Traction aids and poles are useful for the descent.   The  temps were cold (lower 20s) so the snow clung to all the branches, absolutely beautiful.