This is a great hike for solitude - I saw only two other hikers all day. It's also nice to do a North Cascades west slope hike that doesn't involve miles of bumpy forest roads to get to the trailhead. The last trail report was right about the creek crossings. If you can cross the first set of waterfalls at the beginning of the hike, you'll be fine the rest of the way. The trail is relatively easy to follow, and when in doubt, walk in the (mostly dry) creek beds/gullies and you will eventually see the trail again. The waterfalls throughout the first half of the trail were nice and definitely helped stave off boredom on the long hike down. Snow covered the trail starting about 3500 feet, but it wasn't more than an inch until the top, and I never needed my spikes. Poles came in handy throughout the hike though. The views of the North Cascades from the top were awesome! The Marblemount Ranger Station is still closed for the season, so don't count on the bathrooms being open.
