The road to the trailhead was clear, with just a small amount of compacted snow in the parking lot. The first ~10 minutes of the hike has intermittent patches of snow on the trail (maybe 4-5 inches deep, compacted). Since the trail is not steep here, it was easy to navigate these patches without microspikes or any special footwear (outside of hiking boots).
The skunk cabbage is nearly ready to bloom. The yellow leaves that surround the smaller spike of blossoms are starting to open up. I'd estimate that in about 2 weeks they will be blooming.
The trail is clear until you get to the big bridge that crosses the lake/marsh. This is now where this hike ends, unless you scramble over the broken (but passable with a little effort and low water) bridge and continue on the trail. The last .5 miles down to the creek bed has a couple of fallen trees to cross. At this point, a significant washout has rendered the rest of the trail fairly unnavigable, but at low water it's possible to follow the creek bed to the river where you'll find some nice views of snowcapped mountains.
Even if you end at the bridge, this is a lovely off-season day hike, good for dogs and children.
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