Did a loop up Palisades from Hwy 410 then down Ranger Creek Trail and back to the trailhead on the White River Trail. About 16 miles all in. Started out at 8:00 am. The morning was cool and cloudy and soon became a light but persistent drizzle/mist. The Palisades trail is in great condition, with some mud as would be expected in this weather. There are a lot of blowdowns on the Palisades side of the loop, but almost all have been cut and cleared from the trail. Only one downed tree to step over on the Palisades trail, and it was no problem. I only saw one group of mountain bikers coming toward me near the summit, so near total solitude on the hike up. I can't vouch for the views from the various viewpoints as the cloud cover did not allow the views of Rainer or Sun Top to be seen. However, I imagine they are quite good and I will come back on a clear day to check it out. The nice thing about this loop is that nearly all of the significant elevation gain is in the first 5 miles or so, meaning the rest of the mileage is either downhill or relatively level with a few minor climbs. Some of the cliffs near the summit are pretty spectacular, and might give even a mountain goat vertigo. Keep children or dogs away from the edge!
Once I started down on the Ranger Creek Trail side of the loop, the trail conditions changed for the worse for the first mile or two heading down. There are two blowdowns across the trail, one of which should pose little problem for most hikers. The other is more of a challenge. It is a large tree at a 45 degree angle across the trail on a steep slope. There are a couple stubs on either side of the tree where branches used to be that make good hand grips as you straddle the tree and take one leg over, then the other. Mountain bikers in pairs should be able to pass the bikes over to one another, but it would be more challenging for a single rider, though I talked to a guy a the shelter at the summit who had done it.
The other significant obstacle is a washout on the trail. It doesn't cover that much distance on the trail, but it is in a steep and muddy section and the dirt/mud is loose. Poles were very useful here. After clearing these three obstacles the rest of the trail down to the White River trail is in good condition with some muddy spots. Encountered more people on this side of the trail, likely owing to the time of day, including several groups of mountain bikers and a few groups of hikers.
The White River Trail back to the trailhead is a pleasant walk through the forest with no obstacles of note and is relatively level with a few minor ups and downs. It is quite close to Highway 410 in places, so traffic noise does disrupt the silence enjoyed on the rest of the hike.
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