Road to the trail: There were no obstacles other than the road still being in very rough condition. I have a high clearance 4x4 and had no issue at all with it. Probably took 30-45 minutes to go the 5-6 miles, but I would recommend high clearance for sure. That said, there was a minivan at the Dingford Creek Trailhead, so others can clearly make it if they are careful.
Trailhead: There were probably 6-10 cars when I got there on a Thursday morning and about the same number when I left midday on a Friday. The toilets were closed for the winter.
Trail conditions: I went to Goldmyer for an overnight and took the old forest road there and back. I got there mid-day and set up camp and had lunch before heading up the valley to see what conditions are like. The trail/old road was almost completely snow/ice free up to Goldmyer, but with a fair bit of water on the road, so boots were nice to have. The caretaker at the cabin recommended taking the road up towards Hardscrabble Horse Camp since it is in the sun more and would likely have less snow. It is higher up the valley and goes through multiple avalanche chutes, so it leads to some better views too. That is the way I took and didn't disappoint. I stopped maybe about half a mile from the horse camp because the snow. It wasn't too deep, but became annoying. The views of Burntboot Peak along this stretch were really amazing. Heading back to Goldmyer along the road and stayed the night. Great little campsite along the creek with water access. It is a bit of a hike up to the hot springs, but very worth it. Water felt great after 12-13 miles on trail and the setting next to a waterfall on the same creek is amazing. Since it was about 4:30, all the day trippers had left already and it wasn't very crowded at all. Next morning packed up camp and headed back out the way I came.
Wildlife: Didn't see anything outside some birds and squirrels.
Overall, around 20 miles and 2000 ft elevation gain to take advantage of a really nice weather window. Great couple days in the Middle Fork valley as always.
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