I parked at the small lot at 4th Crossing (3 other cars on a Monday morning at 9, although the Paradise lot was full) and headed up the trail first to Mazama ridge, which was beautiful with fall color and no other people. Then I went up the Paradise Glacier trail, to about ¾ mile beyond the end of maintained trail sign. There is still a small snowfield up there, with Stevens Creek running beneath it, making some neat looking caves. Just a few other people were on that trail. Finally, I went back to the Skyline trail and completed the loop counter clockwise, which seems to be the opposite way most people hike it. This was where I found the crowds! I saw ravens, a bald eagle, an osprey, a mountain goat and ground squirrels. If you like hiking in crowds, choose the Skyline loop. If you want solitude, choose one of the other two. You can't go wrong--it's all beautiful!

#HiketheState

We took the Skyline trail from the Paradise Inn towards Myrtle Falls this morning. We did not leave especially early (just before 8am) - but we mostly had the trail to ourselves once we passed the falls. Lots of ripe blueberries along the way, and Fall colors started to appear. Once we were on the Paradise Glacier trail, we were out of the woods - in a much more open and barren environment. We stopped at the end of the maintained trail, and enjoyed the view of the different glaciers, as well as the marmots and squirrels we’d passed on the way up. Today’s forecast was for clouds and some rain - this hike kept us above the clouds!

Bottom Line:

This is a great WINTER snowshoe (see link) but I had never done in late summer. WHOA! Amazingly beautiful, and lots to explore before and beyond the "end of maintained trail", of course staying on rock at all times to avoid tundra damage (CAUTION: Rockfall hazard, snow bridges, rushing COLD glacial water surrounded by crumbling slopes). This is the perfect hike when the upper mountain is shrouded in cloud as it was today, since once in the dead-end valley, you are in your own little world with Paradise and Steven's glaciers looming overhead, and countless waterfalls cascading down the surrounding headwalls. The flowing water adds splashes of color - green, yellow and oranges mosses with hardy alpine flowers (e.g. monkey flower) - to the otherwise moonlike landscape. There are some significant snowfields, many with water flowing underneath and visible bridges and ice caves, but you can ascend the slopes, watching for rockfall, to avoid them (at least as far as I went). I look forward to returning and trying to attain the end of the valley.

Stats:

• Distance: 6-3/4 miles
• Vertical: 1650 ft
• Duration: ~ 4 hours
• Road/Parking: Some challenges in this department, and I honestly felt bad about contributing to the crowds at Paradise afterwards. There is road work on both Hwy 123 (which will be closed outright in September) and Stevens Canyon Rd. Traffic is one-lane only, which can lead to lengthy delays (up to 30 minutes each). No reservations required for Paradise entrances. Reaching Paradise, parking was full up to the lodge, with some spots available on Paradise Valley Rd, which was fine, as the 4th Crossing Trailhead is down that road by the Paradise River bridge. The trail was very quiet once I took the junction to Paradise Glacier, but very busy up to that point, reflecting the crowded conditions that were immediately evident when trying to park. Best to manage expectations and leave time for delays... it is crowded for a reason, although the difference between Paradise and Sunrise this year (no reservations vs. reservations) is pretty dramatic.
• Weather: A mix of sun and cloud, with the upper mountain mostly shrouded in cloud. No bugs, light wind. 50-60Fs
• Water: There is flowing water for filtering the entire length of the trail, although the water can be more challenging to access up high. I did not carry water, although glacial silt DOES clog up the ol' filter!
• Flowers: The flowers are definitely past peak but still going strong (unlike Berkeley Park/Skyscaper over at Sunrise), with paintbrush, lupine, alpine aster and western pasqueflower putting on a show. Up high, near the waterfalls, plenty of monkey flower, with that area in general reminding me of the way to Panhandle Gap above Summerland. Low down, the flowers are similar to Pinnacle Saddle just over a week ago.
• Trail: I was transported to Iceland on this hike (having done some travel planning this summer). The landscape, the glaciers, the countless waterfalls - truly stunning. I started on the 4th Crossing Trail and used it to attain Mazama Ridge. Some muddy areas on the lower ascent. Heading up the ridge on Skyline Loop, there is a marked junction to "Paradise Glacier" - take the trail on the right. The maintained trail ends in 1-1/2 miles, but there is a boot path that goes much higher (I did not reach the end of it - I think, as there were large snowfields where I stopped). The lower trails were packed with people, but I did not see anyone else for hours after the turnoff. That trail is just a little rougher than Skyline Loop, but pretty moderate in the grand scheme of things. Beyond the "end of maintained trail" sign, there is another (old) sign indicating some of the hazards that lie ahead, including rockfall. Soon those hazards become evident, with large icefields ringed by ice caves, and high volumes of water flowing under the snow. There are spots where an uncontrolled slide on the snowfield would land you in a gushing glacial Paradise "Creek". In other spots, snow bridges or caves may collapse. Footage of this in the video.
• Takeaway: Having hiked alone, I came away saying to myself, "I need to come back with <insert your best hiking buddy>" - the trail is so incredibly scenic I immediately wanted to experience it with someone else! Next time, will try to hike higher - even more waterfalls, and I suspect a glacial tarn or two, still higher.

The attached video captured the entire trail, including some ice caves. The video, and the Instagram link below, have higher resolution pics.

Waited for 1 and half hours to enter at 8AM. Maybe timed entry was actually useful last year? Parked down on the paradise valley road past the 4th crossing bridge, but that was good for me because I wanted to go to Mazama Ridge first for the wildflowers.

Wildflowers were still prime, colorful and fragrant. Watched some tiny shrews running wildly just by the trail on the ridge. Not too many people on Mazama Ridge and so was the paradise glacier section. Turned around at the “end of maintained trail” sign.

We then drove to Bench Lake and Snow Lake trail. Many cars got tickets due to illegal parking along the road.

The 2 lakes were beautiful in a different way. It was also great on the way back when facing the Mountain. Water temperature was good, many people enjoying the water in the Snow Lake but not felt very noisy since the lake is big enough.

We had a fabulous hike on the Skyline Loop trail out of Paradise. Plan on adding an extra mile or 2 to your hike if you arrive at Paradise after 7:30AM. Parking is a premium on a hot sunny day. Cars lined the road for a good mile on the approach and descent drive mid day. We started in a counter clockwise loop at 10:45. There were only 2 short snow sections to navigate, otherwise the entire trail was dry and dusty. Trail traffic is what you’d expect super busy. On the loop itself You didn’t hike more than a couple minutes before you’d passing another group of hikers going both directions. I estimate we saw a couple thousand hikers plus. Taking the side spur out to Paradise Glacier was the only trail reprieve where you felt you had the mountain to yourself. Wildflowers were absolutely spectacular. The show starts as you step on the trail and continued throughout. We saw spirea, aster, arnica, penstemon, bistort, paint brush, shooting stars, monkey flower, heather, valerian, soapwort, phlox, glacier lilies, anemone, evening primrose, cusick speedwell, fleabane daisies, cinquefoil and more.  Pesky chipmunks and squirrels were begging for food throughout. Marmots sightings were limited to a few. As you returned to the trailhead the paved trail sections were excruciatingly painful on the descent. Another glorious trail day with friends.