Gorgeous views up on the ridge! I hiked it counter-clockwise, hiking up to Deer Lake first. I was glad for that, since the trail to Deer Lake is rockier and less scenic than the Sol Duc River trail.
Conditions are pretty good until right before the Seven Lakes basin as far as snow. Dropping into the basin itself took some care since there were some good-sized, steeper snow fields still. The snow fields continue until just above Heart Lake. I didn't need any special gear other than trekking poles but was glad I had those. If you don't like or aren't comfortable hiking on snow, I would wait a few more weeks. On the plus side, there's plenty of water flowing right now.
Wildlife: Mosquitoes were annoying at Lunch Lake but weren't too bad otherwise. A group of hikers around the Hoh Lake trail junction told me they saw three bears, but I didn't see any.
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