The trail is completely snow free until well past the falls, with only a few patches here and there until about 4400 feet. That's when we decided to put on microspikes and they were definitely needed--from that point on the trail is mostly icy hard pack. The scramble section up the rock does have bare ground, but beyond there are sections that would be slow going and a little dicey with no traction devices. Poles are handy too.
The trail isn't always obvious on the upper sections--keep an eye out for the red blazes on the trees. Basically you just need to stay on the ridge.
Comments