We arrived in the parking area a little after 10:30am, and while it was busy, we were able to find easy parking in the lot with the help of the attendants. 542 was clear and easy to navigate the whole way, with one minor section with water over the road (marked) and two short one-lane sections around miles 41-44. Bathrooms were open with limited TP and a note stating that there would be no trash service until federal funding improves.
Our group of five brought snowshoes and abundant layers but ended up ditching the snowshoes at the car; given the lack of recent snowfall and what previous trip reports shared, we deemed our microspikes and heavily grooved shoes sufficient. About 80% of the trail we took was compact, and the rest was not difficult without snowshoes. We all felt fine but I will note that the majority of folks we saw outside were in snowshoes or skis. Our layers were also quickly shed due to how warm it was out today, but we're glad we had them in case the wind ever picked up.
Avalanche risk was moderate in the area according to NWAC and we did see some small rollerballs, but in general our group (which included some folks quite familiar with avalanche risk) was not concerned about the trail up to Artist Point and Huntoon Point. We did skip circumnavigating Table Mountain though after assessing the south-facing slopes, opting instead to spend time wandering around the snow covered parking area.
Beautiful day out! Happy New Year.
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