FOUND: Adult snow mitten on the road about 0.4 miles from the lookout. If it’s yours, please provide description in the comments of this report (color and manufacturer) and we’ll figure out how to get it back to you.
Gate is open past the sno-park. Road up to the lookout is snow free until ~3.8 miles from the turn onto FS 7315. I was able to drive my Buick Encore through the first bit of snow (about 20 ft in length), but slightly scraped the underside on the high mounded snow between the tire tracks, so when I came to the next section of snow (about 0.1 miles later) I turned around and found a spot where I could get off the road to park. Unlike the Tesla that came up sometime while I was hiking and parked in the middle of the road just before the second bit of snow. Thankfully I was downhill from them so I didn’t have to try to squeeze past them. Please remember, just because your car isn’t able to go any farther doesn’t mean someone with a higher clearance vehicle hasn’t kept going – don’t block their way back down!
Speaking of high clearance vehicles, there were tracks from some that continued on until ~4.45 miles from the turn onto FS 7315 (about 0.2 miles before the summer parking area below the final gate). After that it was footprints only.
I decided to go up on all the way on the road and come back on the trail then the road.
From the first patch of snow, the road varied between snow patches ~12-18 inches deep to completely snow free. Initially the patches of snow tended to be around 20-50 ft long, but length increased as I went higher. Just below the summer parking area (when the upper gate is closed) there was a stretch of snow that went on for roughly 320 ft. About 0.5 miles above the summer parking area was another long section of snow, this one lasted a quarter of a mile and, being in the shade, was deeper than the others, getting over 2 ft in depth. After that the road was back in the sun for the rest of the trip to the lookout, and the remaining snow patches were very short and not very deep. I didn't feel the need to put on my microspikes, but was glad I had them with me - there were a couple sections of snow toward the top that had they been more frozen I would have wanted to use the spikes. See photo #2 for some examples of snow on the road.
You can avoid the worst of the snow by taking the trail from where it first intersects the road all the way up to the lookout. There were a few short sections of snow on the trail, but they were not deep and were easily navigated. There is also a small tree down over the trail about 300 ft above where it first intersects the road, but this was easy to step over.
I got to the top and enjoyed having the views all to myself for almost an hour before I forced myself to head back to the car. The toilet at the top was unlocked but not stocked. Also, please be sure to pack out your trash.
Saw three people heading up as I was going down. Gaia tracked the day at about 3.6 miles RT and +900ft gain.
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