Skyline Trail Loop — Friday, Jul. 12, 2024

Arrived at the Paradise TH around 1730 on a Friday and the parking lot was full, drove around until a spot opened up.  There was however parking in the lower lot.  Bathrooms open and water available if needing to fill a container.  Planned to hike the Skyline loop and there was a map that rangers had prefaced with conditions and advised to take a photo of prior to hiking as snow conditions were sketch in areas.  Started off on the skyline trail, which is paved and steep.  The trail above the paved area was wet with some snow coverage but not hard to pass. It was not until Glacier Vista that the trail was harder, snow covered in a lot of areas and took more care.  Micro spikes would have made this easier, but I made it without and I would recommend a trek pole.  At the top of Panorama point there is a bathroom, and have to say it is worth the visit.  The views from here are EPIC.  So unbelievable. Marmots were everywhere, along with chippys.  Took the Skyline trail down thru Golden Gate, as the extended path was advised to not pass due to snow.  This was truly a scenic overload hike and I would guess it will get a bit prettier as the snow melts and flowers pop up.  There was even by the evening quite a bit of traffic on the trail up, however from panorama point, traffic died out as most folks look like they went down the way they came avoiding the loop down.  Happy trails and Enjoy!