Given the scarcity of recent trail reports, our group's experience feels pertinent to share. We had a planned 14-mile, one-way key exchange hike, with group A starting at Ira Springs trailhead, and group B starting at Granite Lake trailhead. I was in group A. The trail was in great shape all the way up to and including the ascent up Mt. Definance. After the cutoff to Mt. Definance, there is a well-defined footpath heading toward Thompson Lake on the Mt. Definance trail. However, after several hundred meters, the trail turns to snow, requiring gps navigation as there were zero bootprints at this time. Group A headed perhaps 1/4 to 1/2 mile down the trail when we received communication from Group B that things were very dicey from their end, advising us to turn around. They reported that the trail after Thompson Lake was overgrown with blowdowns, etc. When they passed that section (with difficulty--the group was an incredibly agile and fit group of teen Mountaineers), they encountered boulder fields with dangerous snow bridge crossings. While I can report that group B did eventually and slowly make the crossing, it would be ill-advised to do this through hike until the snow further melts out, unless you have excellent navigation skills, agility in dangerous trail conditions, etc. It's doable, but not for your average hiker.
Some other notes: some in our group had traction and poles for the snow section, and this was imminently helpful for the section we attempted. Without traction, the snow is very slick! Group B, which completed the middle section, reported that they wished they'd all been wearing long waterproof pants to more comfortably navigate the wet, overgrown sections, etc. They regretted the lack of traction and hiking poles, as well.
Through hike stats on the group that made it through from Granite Lakes to Ira Spring: 14 miles, around 6000' elevation gain, 7 hours hike time (including 45 minute lunch break at the peak of Mt. Defiance). Average hike speed prior to the connector trail was 3mph, signifiant slowing on connector trail, followed by a final push of a trail run back to Ira Spring trailhead from Mt. Defiance. Our group, significantly slower, average hike time no more than 1.5mph, so the trip would have taken us significantly longer.
Hope this intel helps someone out there! I wish we had been able to have current info on the trail yesterday, so here you go if this is a bucket list hike for you.
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