May 16 Mountain Loop Highway

We took a lazy start and parked at Deer Creek, where the road is gated.  There is "almost" continuous snow on the road from the gate, perhaps a few 100 foot long bare patches and then continuous snow.  Average 4 feet deep snow at the Big Four picnic area (most of the picnic tables are invisible or barely visible).  We tramped out to the washed out bridge; I forget if they have put in a new bridge there somewhere.  We had significant mount/dismount action on snow fingers on the boardwalks.  Lots of skunk cabbage everywhere.  Mega wet slide evidence all over the place but we only heard, and did not see, fresh avalanches.  High clouds moved in and cooled things off, with the car thermometer only at 55 at 4 PM.  It looked like there would be continuous snow up the Kalcema lake road still...incredible.  A pleasant non-motorized day if nothing fancy.