Details below, but want to highlight that we encountered VERY fresh cougar scat in the middle of the trail about 2.5 miles into this hike. No other signs or issues, but be aware.
This is a beautiful trail in superb condition. The road getting up was in great shape. Single lane, a few large potholes, but navigable. Fresh gravel has recently been laid in a few places and it is very thick and loose right now, so depending on your vehicle, be mindful and go slowly (should be doing this anyway, lots of single-lane corners with no to low visibility). We had no issues in a Prius. Got to the TH around 8:30 on a beautiful Saturday and there were only three cars in the small pullout lot (I'm a terrible judge of how many cars will fit in a given space, but there was still plenty of parking). As others have said, be aware that there are no restroom facilities at the TH.
The trail had a variety of treads; sandy/gravely with chunky rock, hard dirt, pine needle duff, but all in great condition and manageable with care. It is definitely a ridgeline trail and it follows the ridgeline, so you go up and down with the ridge and switchbacks are a luxury not frequently seen. Much of it is very soft up and down or flat, but where elevation changes it does so very rapidly and can get quite steep (10-20% grade). Surprisingly little exposure until the last mile or so, but still intermittent great views through the trees.
The elevation work is very worth it once you start to pop in and out of the meadows around three miles in. Shortly after, you'll hit the top of the ridgeline with meadows descending on both sides and it is truly glorious. Bugs were surprisingly bad on the summit, with little wind to control them. If it came from a different direction, things may have been different. Joan Lake looked lovely but we didn't have time to drop down and explore.
About 2.5 miles into this hike we encountered VERY fresh cougar scat in the middle of the trail. We had just taken a 15 minute snack break a few hundred feet down the trail and, given the change and drying seen on our return trip, it seems totally possible that our feline friend passed through while we were snacking. No other sign whatsoever; if kitty saw us we certainly (and unsurprisingly) did not see it. If you head up there, be prepared, careful, aware, and respectful. We encountered about six other people on the trail over the course of the day, so it was quiet but we weren't totally alone.
And requisite reminder that these subalpine ecosystems are incredibly fragile. Stay on established trails and leave no trace. Wonderfully, we didn't see much evidence that folks weren't doing that here.
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