Spectacular hike full of a wide variety of mountain views, waterfalls, rivers, and even a bear.  I got up there about 11:15 am on a Thursday and the parking lot was full with about 15 parked on the road so it seemed busy.  But the people on the trail were pretty intermittent.  There is only small patches of snow on the trail in the last mile - a few steps to get across, mostly just causing mud on the trail.  The trail itself is beautifully maintained with small creeks flowing in maintained drains along the way.  The climb is mild to moderate and steady.

I definitely recommend doing the Emmons Moraine trail too as it has some of the best views on the hike.  The massive glacier wall of ice and a pristine blue lake. But don't make the mistake I did - there is a sign that says end of maintained trail that I did not see, so I hiked an extra mile before I realized I should have turned around a ways back.  If you end up in shrub trees, you've gone too far.  Just go to where the trail goes up along the ridge on your left.

Arrived at the White River Campground at 9:15 am on a Wednesday.   There were 2 spots left in the parking lot.   Restrooms are open.

We hiked up the Glacier Basin trail and then headed up to 2nd Burroughs.   So many wildflowers are blooming!   We walked through a meadow of yellow glacier lilies.   There were a few small patches of snow.   Just before reaching the top of 2nd Burroughs, there is a larger patch of snow.   Stay towards the bottom of it and the path quickly reappears.   Had 2nd Burroughs all to ourselves - not even any chipmunks running around.

The snowpack on Inter Glacier was thinner compared to the same period last year, but it is still abundant enough that crampons and an ice axe are sufficient for the climb. I arrived at the Glacier basin around 10:15AM and saw a team of 14 climbers up the slope about 1 hour and half ahead of me. I thought about following their tracks all the way to Emmons Glacier, but I changed my mind as I approached the ridge. Although it was a slow going for me today, I still felt I could bag both Steamboat Prow and Camp Schurman. I topped the Prow at 2PM, about six hours ten minutes after leaving the White River campground, a disappointing summit time but I was happy to get it done. 

The weather today was beautiful, with clouds moving in and out fast. I could see some area of the park were raining but Emmons Glacier valley remained untouched by clouds. It’s a perfect time to visit Camp Schurman.

After 30 minutes of rest, I took scramble route down to the Camp. Although the boot path was visible, I still double-checked my GPS to make sure. The volcanic rocks here are brittle and loose, always have a solid rock hold before making a move. It took me about 12 ~ 13 minutes (10 of them harrowing) to reach the camp.

My return route is Emmons Glacier. It's relaxing and enjoyable (when going downhill) with a world-class breathtaking view. Surprisingly there were fewer cracks compared to my visit 2 years ago around the same time. The colder temperatures in spring and early summer might be a contributing factor. As a result the foot track to Camp Curtis felt much shorter and almost like a shortcut. I did not followed the path all the way to Curtis, instead I scrambled up to the ridge directly, a rash and bad idea, will never do that again.

By then I was done and exhausted(Forget about Ruth, been there done that). All I want now was to sit on the snow and slide downhill, and that’s exactly what I did. It took me roughly 30 minutes to return to the basin campground.

Started on the Glacier Basin trail 2.4 miles to the Burroughs trail cutoff. Took the turn and headed up to the junction between the 2nd and 3rd Burroughs. There are no real obstacles other than one downed tree that was never removed from last year. Trail has a couple of small snow patches but nothing that makes you lose the trail or requires traction.
At the junction between 2nd and 3rd Burroughs we headed for the 3rd. I used GPS to remain on or close to the trail for the way up which meant crossing some snow but it was soft and we made it up without the need for traction. We did use poles mainly because we were tired.
There was one other couple that took a different route to stay off the snow. We followed them down for a bit but I wasn't comfortable with the line they took as it was headed off trail. We ended up going over the snow to connect back with the trail which was actually faster for us.
There are flowers starting to show. We didnt see any bears or goats this trip but did see one Marmot as he crawled into his home. Quiet day since Sunrise isn't open. We only saw the one couple at the top and then one pair coming up as we headed down.

A few snow patches on the trail, but not at all difficult to cross. Did run into a brown mama bear and her cub about a 1/4 mile from the top of the basin, just snacking in a meadow. Kept my distance and kept moving, mama noticed but seemed unperturbed by my presence. First bear encounter for me! Saw them on the way back too. So many wildflowers in bloom, it was a gorgeous day with some light intermittent rain. Also saw a salamander and a frog!!