TLDR: No snow! :o But bring poles
The long version...
Road:
The road to the Ira Spring Trailhead is in fine condition. A few sections of minor potholes, but that's it. This morning, it was a bit bogged down/wet and sloppy in parts, which did make me slide slightly once.
To Mason Lake:
I arrived at a sleepy parking lot, and to my great surprise, I noticed a bright light in the sky. Since I still had service, I checked the hourly forecast, and sure enough, a bright yellow spot was showing in the forecast for only about 3 hours. Determined to investigate this celestial phenomenon, I made short work of the climb to Mason. Sure enough, I had pockets of blue sky! I passed one couple on the way up and ran into two backpackers at the lake. Other than that, I didn't see anyone for the rest of the way up to Defiance. No snow. I worried about crossing the outlet, but it actually wasn't too bad.
To Mt. Defiance:
It was rather windy at the lake, which didn't bode well for the summit. But I happily pressed on, with the sun peeking through the trees occasionally. The variation from year to year is really amazing. One year ago, almost to the day, I was trudging through deep, fresh snow while breaking trail towards Defiance. Crazy! Not even a hint of snow until the very tippy top. That being said, it was muddy and sloppy past Mason. Once on the ridge, I was treated to glorious, warm sun and epic views. I used my GPS to make sure I didn't blow right on past the spur to the summit. It's a steep, final climb, but never hard to find the trail.
Summit:
VERY windy! Finally, evidence of snow appeared at the top, but all off trail. I didn't stay too long, as clouds were floating in and out, occasionally obscuring the views. I instead descended a wee bit and found a rock. I then proceeded to splat out, marmot-style, and bask in the warmth from that lovely star. I truly lucked out with the weather window. It wasn't long before the clouds came, and I knew the time to head down was here.
Descent:
I hadn't seen anyone for hours and was loving the solitude. On the way down, I did start to run into a few people, but it was more or less deserted (compared to summer!) What a ghost town! Do be mindful that the roots are slippery between Defiance and Mason. Also save some energy, because remember that you must drag your weary carcass back out of the lake basin before heading back down towards the trailhead.
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