Had the time for a long hike, so decided to go all the way to Grizzly Peak from the Smithbrook TH.
Despite clear skies at the start of the hike (just after 4 am), the clouds moved in and I was pretty much rained/misted on from about 5:30 am on to the rest of the hike.
Because most of the trail follows the PCT north, it is in pretty good shape. The trail was a little muddy in places from late runoff while heading northbound. On the return to the TH, it was quite a bit wetter because of all the rain that had fallen. As far as downed trees go, there was only one to step over which was about 1/4-1/2 mile after passing Lake Janus.
Even though I had no views of the surrounding peaks for the last three-mile approach to Grizzly Peak due to the weather, the trail was still quite lovely. And the rainy/misty conditions did make for a more comfortable hike that allowed me to have a quicker pace.
Also, the wetter conditions meant that there weren't a whole lot of people out on the trail.
Not counting all of the birds around, there wasn't much in the way of wildlife save for the occasional chipmunk. However, early in my hike when it was still dark, I did hear some heavy movement just off the trail. Not sure if it was a deer, bear or something else, but based on the sound it was something larger. It's a little unnerving to hear when you can't see anything, but I just moved on cautiously and, thankfully, the sound didn't follow me. :)
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