After months of anticipation, we did a 4 day *clockwise* trip along the Devil's Dome loop, starting from the East Bank TH. If you're wondering whether to go CW or CCW, let me provide some support for this option. Day one will be a nice warm-up along Ross Lake without too much elevation gain. The blowdowns will get progressively worse throughout the loop, so you aren't fighting your way around the massive slide with your heaviest pack. You can ask all the other folks who tend to do the trail CCW about water. Finally, you get to ascend the steep scree field instead of descending, which is my personal preference.
Onto specifics: we stayed at Devil's Creek camp on Ross Lake, then Skyline camp (a mile or so east of Devil's Dome, truly delightful), then Devil's Park next to the shelter.
Trail conditions: There were about 30-40 blowdowns on Devil's Ridge on our way to Skyline camp, mostly needed to step over them. The next day on Devil's Ridge and Jackita Ridge had about 20-30 blowdowns, mostly ones you needed to hike around. Our last day descending to Ruby Creek trail had another 10ish blowdowns and then the big blowdown you need to scramble through, plus areas of trail that are very overgrown. Ruby Creek trail is quite lovely, but only after you fight through the brush for 2 miles. Jackita Ridge was probably in the best condition of the loop, besides the trail along Ross lake.
Water: plentiful along Ross lake. Heading up to Devil's Dome we had a few options: 2 small creeks around 4000' and 4500', then we stopped at Bear Skull Shelter for lunch and to fill up at the nice spring there, then there were 3 small trickling streams between there and the top of Devil's Dome. No water between there and our camp, though you can hike down into the basin east of our camp for water - it looked kinda stagnant and we had brought enough, so didn't investigate closely. Plenty of water along the rest of the trail from various creeks and some nice waterfalls.
Wildlife: nothing big, though I talked to some people who did the trail a few days before me and said they saw a moose.
Waxing poetic: summer has slipped away from the high places in our state already. Leaves were turning red, berries were bursting from many a bush, and the nights were chilly and wet. The climb up from Ross lake is tough but steady, and once you're up on the ridge with expansive views outward and the up-close beauty of the alpine meadows you traverse, you'll want to stay an extra day or two. There weren't many people on the trail, so if you're looking for a secluded, tough, rewarding backpack - this is the one for you.
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