The famously steep Mt. Rose trail, featuring a hefty 3500' of elevation gain, is in good condition up to Horse Camp. Heavy snow covers part of the final 1.1 mile climb to the summit - it will take several weeks to melt it all. Scattered bits of flag tape mark the path of the trail in the snow, but you might want to take along a GPS unit to help with navigation. The summit area of Mt. Rose is free of snow and perfect for enjoying the vertiginous view down to Lake Cushman.
We hiked the alternate trail down from Mount Rose and found extensive snow cover with a few bare areas on the ridge line that this trail initially follows. Heavy snow covers the trail where it drops off the ridge, but orange markers nailed to the trees help with navigation here. The snow ends about 400 feet down, and much of the trail is free of snow down to Horse Camp. Some blowdowns need clearing.
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