I hiked the loop in a clockwise direction, taking the traverse up and the TMT back down. I turned onto the Summit Trail and then cut through a rough boot path to the viewpoint at the end of the road below the summit, where I had lunch.
The trail is in generally good condition, despite the recent rainstorms. There were spots on the TMT with running or standing water, particularly in the lower section where a channel had been cut by storm runoff, but nothing major. There were a number of blowdowns, but only a couple caused even minor inconvenience (see photos).
The weather was cold and dry, with no wind and a couple of very brief sunbreaks. Mt. Rainier was in the clouds, but nearer foothills were clearly visible from the viewpoint. I saw only three couples/pairs of hikers, each with a dog in tow. All in all it was a good choice for a hike in December.
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