Got to the trailhead at noon to a full parking lot, but only had to wait a couple minutes for a spot to open up. The first 1.5 miles are snow free, rocky and lots of stairs. After that it is all packed down icy snow. Plenty of people did it without microspikes but they were struggling. One person slipped and dislocated their elbow, a Good Samaritan gave them microspikes to make the rest of the way down. In my opinion microspikes are mandatory to have in the pack when you’re hiking in the winter.
Also I saw several people walking on the ice on the lake, it isn’t totally frozen over yet so that’s not a great idea. Do what you want but make sure you keep your dogs off the ice.
Comments
Is the trail open to hike around the lake?
Posted by:
Redshirt on Jan 02, 2026 08:21 PM
We did not go around the lake but it looks like it was. The far side of the lake is directly in avalanche territory so be careful if there is recent snow.
Posted by:
jeffdill on Jan 03, 2026 01:39 AM