Forest road 25 and 99 from Randle to the trailhead are in rough shape with many slumps and sinkholes that are not fun to hit going over 20mph. Some also force traffic to leave the outer lane and could result in a head on collision. The 25 road south of Elk Pass is closed for several miles due to the washout. People are bypassing the barriers but is still closed to vehicular travel. An alternate route is the 28 road. It is a gravel road that is in fairly good condition. Also watch out for logging trucks and semis hauling supplies for the road construction on the pumice plain. During the week, there is also a lot of dump truck traffic from the Cascade Peaks turn to the trailhead.
The contractors are using about 2/3rds of the trailhead as a staging area so there is limited parking.
Road construction has reached 1 mile beyond the researcher lot. They are about 1/3rd of a mile from the 1st large creek. The road has large rock surfacing up to the 2nd small bridge. The freshly ripped up section is very lumpy with soft soil.
My understanding is that in the fall many of the creek crossings will be removed to storm proof the road until the spring.
Here is more info about the road.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/giffordpinchot/?project=51305
The road is being built to support this project to improve the condition of the outlet tunnel and investigate the debris dam:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/giffordpinchot/?project=57259
The "Spirit Lake Outflow Safety Improvement Project" is now in scoping and there will continue to be public meetings.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/giffordpinchot/?project=66482
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