Trail access: The last mile of the road to the trailhead boasts some wide/deeper potholes that would probably be best navigated in a car with slightly higher clearance than a sedan. Subaru outback performed fine. Sedan would be feasible if you didn't mind the risk of bottoming out on some of the deeper potholes. Trailhead is easily overlooked, so keep an eye out for the roadside turnout with room for a few vehicles. No bathroom at the trailhead.

Trail conditions: Trail is in great condition even after the recent rain, boggy and damp, but not excessively muddy. My feet stayed dry in hiking boots. Rare residual scant melting snow patches on non-dangerous parts of the trail, easily stepped through.  Saw no other hiking parties on the entire trail. All water crossings are either bridged or consist of shallow water, easily crossed. My only warning is to be mentally prepared for the peak elevation spot to be halfway through, so if you want to reach Bark Shanty camp, be prepared for a downhill stroll that you will have to ascend on your return. Counted 3 easy blowdowns between FR 27 and Bark Shanty Camp.

Stats: took a little over 4 hours, we were lucky to catch a window of dry weather in between rain showers.

Overall, would recommend this uncrowded trail, essentially no snow, not too muddy, and plenty of moss/ferns/douglas fir to keep you company.

We took advantage of a relatively bright day and headed to Notch Pass 3 for a short hike through the land of gnomes, fairies, and elves. This short jaunt to the intersection of the Lower Big Quilcene trail is so green and lush with three log bridges (slippery) - a favorite access point to the LBQ with plenty of parking.
No signs of snow on the road or trail. We encountered two logs on the trail -  FYI for work parties one at about 13" diameter located just above Mosquito rock and the Allen Creek bridge. The larger log is 37" in diameter and is just past the Allen Creek bridge. You can walk around both.
We hiked to Bark Shanty, had lunch, wandered the newer reroute trail that the Gray Wolves and WTA built a few years ago, then headed back making for a short but enjoyable hike. 

The trailhead toilet was clean (no smell!) and well-stocked with tp. The trail is in great condition and allows for a quiet hike on a safe trail. I hiked the old section of trail going up and the new, higher detour coming down. I can confirm that there is a very steep downhill section before it re-joins the trail.
I went about a mile up the Notch Pass trail, too, which has a more backcountry feel. I don't think many people venture up that way but it's worth it.

I arrived at the Notch Pass TH at about 11 am on Sunday. There was one other car in the small parking area that could fit 3-4 cars. No pass was required. The road wasn't particularly steep, but the potholes were deep and my car grounded out multiple times. I made it in my low-profile 2005 Ford Focus but if you have a low-clearance vehicle and really don't want the undercarriage ripped, you might choose another trailhead. I passed a group playing with guns on the way in, and their gunfire filled the air until I crossed Notch Pass. Besides that, this was a nearly perfect day for a long trail run/hike on some great trails.

My route was Notch Pass Trail to the junction with the Lower Big Quilcene River Trail, taking a right to go upriver to the big parking area at the Big Quilcene/Marmot Pass TH, and continuing up to Marmot Pass, then returning the way I came. It was about 7.5 miles to the Big Quilcene River TH, and then another 5.2 to Marmot Pass. My total for the day was 25 miles and 7,650 feet of elevation gain. In terms of human interaction, I had near solitude below the Big Quilcene River/Marmot Pass TH, and plenty of people on the 5.2-mile trail to Marmot Pass. Occasional brush on the Notch Pass Trail, and a few pretty straightforward blowdowns on the Marmot Pass trail. Intermittent snow that doesn't bear mentioning above 5,400 feet. It looked like there might be more snow on the other side of Marmot Pass. A much easier version of this hike, which would also avoid the longer drive and packed parking lot of the "upper" Big Quilcene River TH would be to start at the Lower Big Quilcene TH, but I didn't visit that TH today.

Beautiful quiet trail, lots of interesting fungus and mold along it, including dog vomit slime mold (!!), one of us had a plant ID app and we had fun identifying everything. Trail was 99% clear except for one or two small logs to get over, thank you WTA work crew!. A little bit of snow on the side but none on the trail. The road is mainly ok with a few road-wide big potholes toward the end.