What an amazing adventure! I've had this on my list forever, and it did not disappoint. The gravel road is in decent shape, and as mentioned in previous reports, there is a large ditch about 1/3 mile from the trailhead. I was fine in a CRV, but if you have low clearance, you will have to decide how much you hate your car. Some sedans did it, others did not. The lot is pretty small, so be prepared to park on the road. At 7:30 am on a Friday, I got one of the last few spots.
I used Gaia a couple times on the way to Headlee Pass. It's really important to download the map for this one! Overall though, the trail was pretty easy to see; it becomes a slight challenge on the talus fields. It took me just under 2 hours to reach the pass. The terrain is challenging but doable with care. Definitely ankle-breaking material on occasion! And be prepared to CLIMB. I'm super glad I started early, because I was already sweating at 9 am. ;p
Once at Headlee Pass, the trail descends for a little bit before crossing a rocky shoulder. You are then quite close the Elan Lake, which sits just beyond a short scramble. I skipped the lake and pressed on towards Vesper. The next bit is steep and rocky (story of this whole trail), but easy to follow. Before I knew it, I was on the granite.
The "unmaintained" trail on Gaia didn't exist. I just figured out the general direction of the summit and picked my own path. Not sure it was the best path, but it worked. It is really, REALLY tempting to take that gully on your left. But it will not lead you to the summit, so don't do it! I tried to take it coming down, and I got cliffed out. So no path of least resistance, sorry folks. I finally discovered the trail during the last few hundred feet. The way down was more challenging. Some big steps, trial and error (turning back because cliffed out or too big a drop), so take your time and don't be afraid to look around for better options. Just don't stray too far!
Views were very smoky, unfortunately. Still gorgeous, and I can't wait to go back! The trail was pretty busy, but not weekend-busy. Lots of fellow soloists! One final suggestion: bring poles!! Helpful for descending the steep sections once off the peak. Also, grippy shoes, my people. Really grippy shoes. You don't want to fall backwards on that granite.
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