No facilities. Stop at the pass. I can highly recommend the Laconia Market on the NE end of the pass. Great little store with excellent sandwiches to pick up for a hike, coffee, cookies, and decent food and drinks available. Bathrooms are small but nice. Truly, a superior little store.
The road.....ugh. Way worse than last year. It starts out with a rampage of potholes big enough to eat a low clearance car. "The hairpin corner from hell" is in better shape than usual, but still not nice.
More people parked at 8:30 on a Monday than I've ever seen. That last 100 yards to the trailhead and roadside parking is a minefield of large partially buried rocks sticking out, and some are sharp! Tire damage is possible. There is a small parking spot just shy of the trail, and before the rocks get horrible, that will hold 2 carefully parked cars. There was a monster truck that beat us to it this hike.
Unless you have a car built for it I suggest looking for side parking not far past Mt. Catherine trailhead.
Bugs went for us as soon as we got out of the car but weren't horrible. Moving they were not a bother. If you stopped in the woods they showed up again. We were lucky to have a breeze on top so weren't bothered there.
Trail is in generally fine shape. Water is still flowing but won't be for long. IMO the cut-off to Silver is pretty obvious (a GPS map certainly helps). If you hit a medium sized tarn on the left about 2 miles in you....just....missed it.
Flowers are out: columbine, marsh marigolds in the swampy spots, daises, phlox and lots more. There are a few snow piles around but none are a hiking bother.
The talus pile called Silver Peak is a marvel, but hell on feet, ankles, and knees. Completely exposed. On a hot day, like we had, it's no joke. Hydrate.
Be careful with the climbing. Not a good place to fall. The views were outstanding: Rainier, Adams, Baker, Stewart, Glacier and all the intermediate peaks were clear.
No critters other than birds seen, not even a frog.
Addendum-one member saw a frog.
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