Arrived at trailhead @ 8:30 to mostly full lot. Hiked with one other and two dogs. Parking lot bathroom, while moderately ripe, is in good condition.
Trail also in good condition, with evidence of recent trail work & log clearing by crews (thank you to all those who do this work!). Mostly cloudy day with occasional hits of sun, but the cloud ceiling was high enough to see all of the surrounding peaks in their lofty glory. Huckleberries were ripe and line the trail all the way up. Asters, paintbrush and fireweed create a rainbow soaked landscape. You cross many rock-fields on this ascent, and pikas were scuttling around and squeaking in every single one - even spotted a few screamin' marmots!
Trail was busy - when climbing this with dogs, I would recommend leashing them....it can be startling to have one dash by you when you are traversing the narrow paths, with a steep drop to one side. Also all of the rodents running around proved very distracting to our canine companions - leashes keep them at a safe distance from precious flora and fauna alike!
Decent trailside camping spots seem to be every half mile on the climb-up. Enjoyed seeing the recurring views of Red Mountain & Guye Peak as we climbed, and the first steps over the ridge were breath-taking as the vistas to the east popped into view. The Katwalk itself had a gut-wrenchlingly precipitous drop-off! Not far afterwards, there are two separate spots that look like nice little camping sites - with one right to the south of Ridge Lake. We walked on down to Ridge Lake for lunch, and then made our return!
Came prepared with a trash bag to pick up litter, but was pleasantly surprised at the lack of trash, especially for an I-90 hike.
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