April 10, MRNP Van Trump Park

The winter route is out for this year as the woods above the parking pullout don't have any continuous snow, so I opted for the summer trail. Before setting out, I had concerns about the steep traverse ~1 mile before Comet Falls and this definitely proved to be the crux of the route.  Patchy snow on trail starts soon after first bridge crossing and becomes continuous maybe half a mile afterwards (it is a typical spring dirty snow). 

The steep traverse is almost completely filled in, but cracks are showing in some inconvenient places and especially in the afternoon it was clear to me that it might not be a passable route soon (and for a while before the snow melts out and the path emerges).  Nonetheless with help of who wisely approached upper section of Van T park from Nisqually bridge. I wish I knew that route.