This was a great cloudy day hike because you stay in the forest for so much of the trail. We stopped for lunch in the flats and through the clouds we got some okay views of the mountains ahead of us (promising to conquer them one day). There was a bit of snow and it got pretty chilly while we ate. The trail was a little muddy in some areas but no real issues. Overall a great way to explore Golden Ears with less people and more distance than Gold Creek.