We set out from the lower trailhead on a beautiful Saturday. It was around 11am, and parking was very full by then. Many people like to start from the upper trailhead, but you get a nice warm-up if you start lower. The trail from the lower trailhead is not very steep and is completely covered by a high canopy of large trees.
Once you meet up with the upper trailhead, it starts to become quite steep. We didn't encounter snow until the trail breaks out of the trees, and once you hit the snow, it's pretty much entirely snow-covered the rest of the way to the summit (with a few exceptions). However, there's still some good lookouts, even if you're not prepared to hike in the snow.
If you are trying to make it to the summit, I'd absolutely recommend boots, pants, and microspikes. We also had trekking poles for the ascent and ice axes and snow pants for the descent, all of which were very beneficial. There were many people trying to hike in sneakers and shorts, and they either had to turn back or were dangerously cold and wet from the snow.
As others have said, beware of the goats. They're fairly docile, but you still don't want to let them get close. Usually yelling at them is enough to send them away. But we were also told by a Ranger on our way up to throw rocks at them if they get too close. We saw a few starting at the false summit, and many more once we got up to the summit.
All in all, was such a great day. This is an awesome hike, with great views all along the way. And the summit is especially rewarding. There was still just enough snow for us to glissade down. We spent a lot of time hanging out throughout the hike, enjoying the views and taking photos-- eventually making it back to the lower trailhead around 6pm. By then, the parking lot had almost completely cleared out.
As always, don't forget to check weather conditions and bring the appropriate gear (and plenty of water) before setting out!
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