The snow on the trail was packed enough that we did not need any special gear just comfortable shoes as far as we walked but definitely recommend some spikes/poles if going up the switchbacks up the mountain. We crossed the bridge and went left upriver and stayed pretty much at the same elevation for about 1.5miles. Clear and no hazards on the trail as far as we went. Two humans and two dogs, happy trails!

It was a beautiful, sunny and blue sky day, and very cold!  The trail was snow covered the entire way but well packed down.  We were really glad we had our microspikes, which made walking the trail, the ups and downs and some iced over areas so much easier.  We saw only about 6 other people, none with spikes, however.  It is a great trail to do any time of year. 

The Middle Fork Road was mostly clear particularly where the sun had been on it already, almost all the way to the parking lot. There were some places with minor snow and ice, and easy to go slow in those areas.  The parking lot was covered with packed down, crusted snow and ice.

Not sure why I’ve never hiked Middle Fork in the winter. Maybe I was too focused on snowshoeing and skiing. But with no new snow in the mountains I headed to Middle Fork today and was not disappointed!
The trail was icy in spots and there were a few blowdowns, but all were easily navigated. People were sparse (can’t say the same for Mailbox whose parking lot was overflowing).
I hiked from the middle fork trailhead to the Ditch Miller trailhead and back. It was a beautiful day in a beautiful place.

A chilly day along the Middle Fork, but that just makes for extra-lovely frost heave, needle ice, and hair ice formations. Moss was out in full force, as expected, as were various tiny frozen mushrooms. We hiked out to the bridge at ~6 miles, had lunch, and returned.

The trail did have a few slippery sections, mostly near stream crossings, but nothing careful steps couldn't solve (poles were also handy); Microspikes definitely not needed. The downed logs that were reported on January 5th are now clear, though there are a few other smaller trees down further on.

Parking lot was much less than half full: this remains a relatively hidden gem.

The temperature along the trail varied quite a bit, with some parts in the middle feeling the coldest, possibly because they were close to the river. Bring plenty of layers, and be ready to change them repeatedly along the way. Open areas out of the trees had a fair bit of frost.

Nice trail, perfect for a midwinter ramble, especially lovely this week with frost caked on branches, ferns and moss.  I clicked "Minor obstacles on trail" because there are very occasional icy spots but otherwise the route is devoid of major obstacles.  The road in is paved and mostly clear although, yesterday, there was a road crew working which reduced traffic to one lane - but no wait, being a weekday.