We ended up doing a 4-day trip with our bailout option of hart’s pass. 

Day 1: east bank Ross lake trail, it was in perfect condition with lots of ripe thimble berries.

Next day: lightning creek trail to Three Fools Creek trail to Castle Pass Trail. Three Fools had a few downed trees, all relatively easy to navigate. Lost the trail at little fish camp due to reality/map mismatch. To continue up the Castle Pass trail do not go into the camp at the major blowdown, instead take the left fork. No water available between little fish camp and halfway through the descent into big face basin. We lost the trail a few times on the ridge but were able to pick it up again easily. The trail down to big face camp was painfully overgrown with downed trees to climb over once you got back into the forest. We were literally bushwhacking through shoulder high thistle, devils club, etc. We both fell several times due to not being able to see the trail in the brush. Thankfully someone had been through within a few days of us, trampling brush and sporadically flagging the trail, otherwise we may not have made it to camp before dark. It was constant trail/route finding for several miles. Lots of bear scat on the trail and we saw a black bear in the morning across the valley who had zero interest in us! 

Day 3: The climb out of big face basin was fine, overgrown but not as bad as the way in. Never lost the trail. Once we got on the ridge, there were lots of trees to climb over. We were pretty tired from the day before and the constant up and down of the ridge got old fast. But the views… A+. Finally reached the PCT, happy dance time! Saw lots of NOBO thruhikers finishing up and several SOBO thruhikers just starting. Camped at Woody Pass. 

Day 4: PCT to Holman Pass. We had planned to trek back west to meet up with the Devil’s Dome/Jackita Ridge trails but only got about half a mile along the Devil’s Ridge trail before being thwarted. We had navigated at least 20 trees already and after crossing the creek found ourselves in a swamp with ~30 trees down. We could not find the trail and after about 30 minutes of looking decided to head back to the PCT for our bailout option of Harts Pass. What a beautiful section! Easily found a ride into Mazama and after a well-deserved ice cream, we traded our green trails map for a ride back to our car to a group of awesome women. PCT crew clearing trees at Holman Pass (heading north) and saw a PNTA crew heading in just as we finished. 

First-time backpacking trip out East Bank to Hidden Hand campsite.  It was nearly 100 degrees, so the 3-4 creeks along the way were a welcome sight.  The bugs were not too bad until the campsite and then they were moderate.  Beautiful view and entrance to the lake just past Hidden Hand campsite.  A little sad to still here traffic on 20 at camp, but otherwise lovely.

Weekend overnight backpack to Devils Creek camp along the Ross Lake East Bank trail.  As I had not backpacked this year, I was hoping for a camp 6-8 miles along the trail but the only walkup permit available was for Devils Creek which is 12 miles from the TH.  More than I wanted but took the last spot when I went up to the Wilderness Info Center the day prior.  I arrived at the East Bank parking area around 8:40am on Saturday and the large parking lot was already filling up.  I took one of the last couple spots along the main row of the parking lot.  I think the lot is wide enough that it probably fills up with 2 rows during peak times but not sure.

After some final pack organization and a quick stop at the bathroom, I headed out on the trail downhill towards Ross Creek and across the bridge to the East Bank trail.  After about 3 miles of forest trail I arrived at the Hidden Hand camp junction.  There is a lake view from Hidden Hand which would make a good turnaround for a day hike.  I veered right and headed up the hill to Hidden Hand Pass.  After about a mile and half, the climb through the forest was over and I descended gradually towards Roland Creek.  As others have stated, this is very much a forest hike.  Even though the lake is just a couple hundred yards (or less) away, glimpses of the water are few and far between.  At times the trail narrows and there is low brush but nothing major and almost all below the knee.  Around 6.5 miles I crossed Roland on a strategically placed log/plank which required a little focus on balance with the heavy load.  I believe I put up a show for a larger group of hikers at this spot on the way back as they waited patiently for me to attempt the slowest ever crossing of this creek - all good natured fun and we shared some laughs.

Next crossing is at May Creek which has a large log high above the fast flowing stream, thankfully with a very secure handrail.  It was here that I met a great couple of thru-hikers, Sunrise and Paul, who were hiking the PNT from West to East.  After a quick chat, I let them cross as I knew they would be moving much faster…however, it would not be out last encounter!  As the trail progressed I eventually reached Rainbow Point and the lake!!  Sunrise and Paul had stopped for lunch so I waved as I went by after a brief rest and snack to admire the blue water.  After Rainbow Point the trail drops to the lake and the views are spectacular for the next 2-3 miles.  Continuing to move forward, I crossed the impressive bridge at Devil's Creek and about a mile or so later arrived at camp.

As primarily a day hiker, I have to admit to being pretty beat.  The last couple of miles were a bit of a struggle and I was looking forward to finally dropping the pack for the night and enjoying a few minutes to sit and cool off.  I had just selected my camp spot and a crash of thunder came out of nowhere.  I looked up to see the dark clouds moving in.  I had barely put my pack down before the rain started - so much for a rest but I think that was the quickest I have ever set up my tent!  While I was setting up, my PNT friends came in right behind me - they were going to camp further up on the mountain but the storm had changed.  They set up in a spot near me and it was nice to have some friendly company for the evening.  It felt good to stretch out for an hour or so as the storm moved through and eventually the rain stopped.

Shortly after, I discovered what could have been a catastrophic gear failure - after enjoying a beer, I went to source my water, a simple process with my Sawyer only to find that nothing would flow through the filter.  I asked my PNT neighbors if they had any ideas and, of course, they knew exactly what had happened.  I had not backflushed my filter since it was last used several months ago and it had basically clogged up.  Apparently, they need to be used once in a while, even in the winter months you are supposed to soak them and backflush - a very silly, and potentially dangerous, mistake on my part.  My trail friends quickly helped me unclog the filter - they had the plunger, and let me use their filter so I could get a good supply for the night and morning.  I was very grateful for their help.

I started the return trip around 8:45 on Sunday after an OK night's sleep.  The morning views of the lake were serene and I stopped to snap some pics and converse with a couple of kayakers before heading to Rainbow Point and back into the forest.  The temperature warmed quickly as I worked my way back to the trailhead.  The last couple of miles were tougher than the day before as the weight of the pack and the extra miles took a toll.  I returned to the blazing sunny 90 degree parking lot, drenched and drained!

I would definitely recommend this trail, especially if you can get out to Rainbow to hike the section down by the lake.  The trail was quiet and although I did see a few fellow backpackers, I would often go for an hour or more without seeing anyone.  I don't recall seeing any day hikers - just a couple of trail runners heading to Rainbow.  I would consider hiking the full length of this trail if I could arrange to take the water taxi back!

According to Garmin, I logged 12.2 miles going out and 11.75 coming back - the difference being time walking around the camp looking for a spot and a side trail to check out a camp on the way out.  Elevation gain was 1600' for each leg for 3200' in total for the trip (not sure where WTA listing gets 800').  My hiking time each day was 5 hours and 4 minutes, not counting breaks.

Took the trail from Hwy 20 to Hidden Hand Group Camp 3.5 miles one way for two nights. Nice trail that starts up just a bit and then levels out. Great weather (still wanted my layers at night), clean camp, good fire pit, good pit toilet, and creek for water and ambiance close by. Cold, refreshing swim after walking down the trail a bit. Awesome views from the rocky ledge. Room up top for three tents and three hammocks. Room below for a few more. Brought two bear canisters and found a branch to hang other items. A black-tailed doe hung out one morning. Saw what we think was an American Marten in a tree along the trail about a mile from Hwy 20.

Backpacked the Devil's Dome Loop clockwise over 5 days and 4 nights, July 11-15. 

Days 1-2 on the East Bank Trail were all good - clear, easy to follow, minimal mileage, not too much elevation. Campsites at Roland Creek and Devil's Creek were easy to find and not at all crowded. It was hot but we jumped in the lake on day 2 to help offset the heat.

Day 3 was a huge climb up to Devil's Pass from Devil's Creek. As soon as we passed into the Pasayten Wilderness it was clear that the trail had not been visited - let alone maintained - for a while. Dozens of downed trees on day 3 - most relatively easy to cross but some were more challenging. And they were all annoying, especially when already climbing thousands of feet. It's normal to encounter downed trees and other trail issues occasionally, but it's obvious that nobody has been out there to clear, mark, or maintain this trail in a long time.

This was the most visually stunning day. Meadows reminiscent of The Sound of Music, and endless mountain views - especially from atop Devil's Dome. In fact, I remember remarking to my buddy that the view from Devil's Dome may be the most beautiful I've ever taken in. It was worth all the sh** we endured. Speaking of which...

Day 4 was a mess. The real issue is the Jackita Ridge Trail between Devil's Pass and Devil's Park. Descending into the valley, the trail was buried under snow for a bit, then it was very difficult to follow as it paralleled the stream. We followed when we could but also knew that it paralleled the stream so we just kept going down when we couldn't find it. GPS app on phone and map were essential. 

After crossing the creek and heading up, it got worse. Extremely steep ascent (~1,000 feet in 1/2 mile). Trail again buried in snow at parts, and very easy to lose. We ended up bushwhacking multiple times on the steep hillside. We'd find the trail, lose it again, find it again, lose it again. We'd have been lost without GPS and map. Then we finally got up to the next pass and the trail was pretty clear...until we approached Jackita Ridge. The trail was buried in snow approaching the scree field, and even parts of the trail on the scree field were very hard to find. We ended up just putting our YakTrax on and going straight up to the ridge. According to the GPS, the trail went East from the top of the ridge, but it was covered in snow. So we bushwhacked and looked around a bit, then eventiually spotted it 500 feet below once we emerged into a hillside meadow. What should have been simply a challenging day was an absolute monster. Looking back, I'm glad we faced the challenges, and we did enjoy ourselves, especially because the weather was perfect and the scenery is perhaps the most spectacular I've ever seen, but I would not go back to that section of trail again unless I knew the snow had melted and I knew that someone had been out there to do some work to make the trail more visible.

Day 5 was an easy day. We had camped just past MacMillan Park on night 4, and we had about 7 miles left to return to the East Bank trailhead parking lot.  There is a big creek at 4,700 feet that one hiker had reported to the ranger as "impassible" (ranger told us this when we rented bear box before the trip). Creek is most definitely passable - ankle deep at most, and just requires some patience and trekking poles. We crossed in 20 seconds without issue. Down at the bottom of the valley, the trail hugs the river on the way back to the parking lot. There are a couple of massive downed trees in quick succession. Not too hard to navigate, but slowed us down and took lots of scrambling.

If you choose to do Devil's Dome soon, be prepared for snow, downed trees, awful trail upkeep, route finding, and mosquitoes. Also, you'll enjoy absolutely epic mountain views, solitude, and true backcountry living!

Water was generally easy to find - most water scarce area was between Dry Creek Pass and Jackita Ridge. Devil's Pass camp has no water (that we found). We passed a little trickling stream 1/4 mile or so before and ended up going back to that because our other option would have been to use valuable fuel boiling snow.

Weather was phenomenal. Highs in the 70s with alpine breeze, sunny, and lows in the 40s. Coldest night was Devil's Pass - the only night I used my down jacket, and the only night I zipped up my sleeping bag the whole way.

Highly recommend you bring: trekking poles, YakTrax or micro spikes, GPS, map, satellite communicator (we used SpotX and it worked great).