Found myself with a free Saturday morning and decided to head up to Vesper peak.
Warning: There is a Yellowjacket wasps' nest on the trail, and I got stung on the way up. It's right in the middle of the trail, in the section after you emerge from the forest and hike through an area with tall ferns. As you ascend, there are a few clusters of trees (which make a tempting place to rest in the shade) and the nest is in one of these spots. (Besides that, hardly any bugs -- hence the "no bugs" flag.)
Road Conditions: I managed without much difficulty in my ancient Corolla, although there are a few large potholes to navigate. Arrived at the TH just after 8 am and the (very small) main lot was full already, with roadside parking starting to back up. The road is narrow, especially with people parking on both sides.
Trail Conditions: This trail has many points where it's unclear how to proceed and you need to use your sixth trail sense! Early on, in the forest, there's a big blowdown where it seems you need to cross the stream (it looks like the trail goes straight, but it actually fizzles out). There are many Talus fields to cross, so keep your eyes peeled for rock cairnes! Once at the basin with a lake, after Headlee pass, there are many fantastic camp sites and the final stretch to Vesper peak involves running (or crawling) up some big stone slabs. It took me 2 hours from the TH to the peak.
Highlights: Great views from the top, and a lot of fun scrambling/hopping on rocks.
Crowds: I came across several groups on the way up, many of whom were climbers. There was also a WTA crew working close to the TH, doing some nice rock work. The basin between Vesper and Sperry had several people camping from the previous night and there where about 4 other people at the summit when I got there. All in all, it was a fairly busy day on the slopes.
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