We made an early-season attempt at Lightning this last weekend, but turned around early due to obvious avalanche danger.
The Copper Creek trail is in good condition, with a few patches of snow as you approach the junction.
Once on the climbers path heading south the snow became more regular, and there were no tracks indicating recent travelers. A couple of snow banks at the scramblier parts of the first ridge made for interesting navigation.
When you top out above the root headwall, snow becomes deep and continuous. This is also the first spot with panoramic views of the remainder of the climb, the ridge traverse, and the summit itself. This was our stopping point given the conditions ahead and beautiful positioning for lunch views.
Attached photo shows obvious recent avalanche activity throughout the gully - the route ascends diagonal to the left underneath all of it. Large cornices are also visible along the entire ridge, likely blocking travel.
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