Hiked a nice loop going up the Rattlesnake Trail and down the Panjab Trail. The Kendall Skyline Road is clear of snow; however loose rock and some ruts on the Kendall Skyline could be a little challenging without a higher clearance or AWD vehicle. If you're at all worried about road conditions, just take the Tucannon road in and you'll be just fine. I parked at the info kiosk at the entrance to the Panjab Campground, where I found a very short trail going down to the river from the south side of the pullout right to the log mentioned in the previous post. A short bushwhack on the other side of the river back north got me to the trail proper - keep close to the river until you see the obvious main trail.
Spring conditions exist on both trails - I encountered snow at around 3 or 3.5 miles, and then the trail essentially turns into a stream for several miles after that until you get a ways down the Panjab Trail. With waterproof boots it wouldn't be too bad, but in my trail runners I went off trail several times to find a higher dry route with not much luck. The snow got a bit deep and I was post-holing as I headed downhill on the Panjab, and there was quite a bit of water on the trail at the main creek crossing. I ended up taking off my shoes and bare-footing it until I could stem the trail around 3 miles from the trailhead. Glad I brought some extra socks and had time to sit and dry out once I got past all the wetness.
The flowers are blooming and I managed only two ticks which is a record low for my outings in the area. Some downed trees here and there but easy to get over or under. Saw some bear tracks and lots of elk sign, but only saw one lonely cow elk up high. The most interesting animals were the two nude sunbathers that I startled. Not sure why they chose to do so 20 feet from the trail when there's an entire wilderness to choose from, but then again we were the only ones on the trail. Hope they didn't get sunburned bits!
The loop was a great way to go, with a short run back to the truck at the end. Would be really easy to stash a bike at either end and ride the 2-ish miles between trailheads if you didn't want to hoof it.
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