I did a stroll to trail camp on July 6 and noticed the following:
- Not as many people as usual, but it's still much more crowded than most trails in the Sierras. There were a few people at Lone Pine Lake, one tent at Outpost Camp, and several tents at Trail Camp.
- Very minor trail damage from the earthquake. There were some sections that were blocked by rocks or downed trees, but they're all very easy to go around.
- One unstable boulder slid a couple hundred feet down a slope in the afternoon. You could see and hear the slide from Trailside Meadow, but the slide was nowhere near the main trail.
- No issues with getting your feet wet at any of the stream crossings.
- The Portal Store is open, and parking isn't a problem.
- No snow on the trail until at least Trail Camp. Some people told me that the only snow on the trail is at the cables (easily bypassed) and isolated patches near the summit (no microspikes needed), but I was unable to verify.
- I saw discarded food wrappings and even a hat on the trail. But thankfully, the only WAG bags I saw were at the trailhead.
- Bugs aren't a problem except below Lone Pine Lake in the evening.
- There are some flowers on the trail but not as many as last July.
- Reports on the summit register are mixed. Some said it's missing, others said it's been moved inside the hut.
