This hike is a bit of a drive, but worth it. We got to the TH around ten, and started off with just a light jacket. The views of the Sol Duc River were awesome! Once we got to the switchbacks, parts of the trail were rather overgrown with rhododendrons and there was a ton of brush all around. Several logs seem to have fallen across the trail this season, it looks like someone has cleared a few, but there were at least ten we had to climb around/over. The log bridge is out over the first stream crossing, but we were still able to cross with little difficulty. All the waterways we saw were flowing quite quickly with all the rain and snowfall lately. Most of the trail is very narrow and steep, although a few stretches are straight. About 3/4 of the way up we encountered some snow patches that were easily crossed. Shortly the snow became more prevalent and seemed to have collected on the trail, in spots drifting to about a foot deep. The trail was still narrow and had a bit of a slant to it, so after fighting through this crunchy snow for about forty five minutes we turned around due to concerns about slipping off the steep side. We'll definitely be trying this trail again once the snow melts, we had great views of the other peaks in the distance and the forest made for a calm and peaceful feeling!
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