We arrived at the trailhead at 9:30am and there were only two other cars in the lot. The bathrooms are closed for the season and there is no trash service, so PLEASE PACK IT OUT. There was a massive pile of dog poop bags dumped at the trailhead which is very unfortunate, and lots of litter in the parking lot.
The day was beautiful and crisp, a couple trees are down across the trail but they were easy to get over. The morning frost made many rocks and roots slippery, so be extra careful and test your weight on something before committing to it. Bridal Veil Falls were stunning, lots of water flowing.
There are multiple stream crossings, at times I would’ve enjoyed having poles but they were crossable without. As we got further up, on the last leg of the last switchback (last half mile or less?), there was snow on the trail and quite a bit of ice. I used microspikes and was glad I brought them. My partner’s shoes alone struggled to keep traction and he slipped a couple times. The snow is not deep, so gaiters weren’t necessary, but I’d recommend Yak Traks or microspikes.
The lake is currently completely frozen over, rocks didn’t penetrate the ice. We didn’t venture all the way to Lunch Rock because the little foot bridge seemed sketchy (covered in snow), so we enjoyed our lunch on the beach right as you arrive at the lake. There were a few big boom sounds and rocks/snow falling on the opposite side from the cliffs, so I would advise not walking over to that side, due to potential avalanche danger. I was pleased to see no litter at the lake, I guess at this point in the season only the real go-getters come up here and they respect nature, as I wish all would!
Climbing back down was just as slick, but a lot faster! This is my second time doing this hike (my partner’s first) and it was even more stunning this time of year. I loved not having the summer crowds. We arrived back at the car around 2:15pm.
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