Wanted to get in one more larch hike for the season! Road conditions are fine with snow as you get closer to the trailhead and in the parking lot.
Snow starts right from the parking lot and microspikes were great until the basin. (The snow softened out throughout the day, so gaiters may be useful.) Trail was well-trodden and we had no issues following it. Once you get closer to the basin, the snow becomes pretty thick and soft with post-holing up to the knee. At the basin, we put on our snowshoes and continued across, following previous snowshoe tracks to the peak. We saw some post-holing tracks on the trail, so this part is doable without snowshoes but would highly recommend bringing if you have them.
As expected, almost all larches are past prime, although a few have hung on making for nice photos. At the ridgeline, we continued heading left (north) to tag the summit. Snow is accumulating and soft, but no issues with cornices (yet). Unfortunately, Glacier didn't show, but still enjoyed the views of the surrounding peaks and valleys.
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