Conditions...
I hiked in and out by Harden Lake. There's water, its clearly down, but its wet. The spring-fed water from there to the views around 6800' is flowing, mostly muddy, but with good water at the final one. Morrison Creek has only a trickle at the first close turn below the views, otherwise no flow. There's a few small stagnant pools where the trail crosses Morrison around 5600', otherwise no water until the river. The trail is clear, there had been major blowdown along the first switchbacks below Harden, trail crews have cleared it all. Some trees fell against tight switchbacks, some trees were cut at least three times as the trail crossed and recrossed the fallen (5 foot diameter) tree.
I saw one bear along the trail on the way out, this black bear was actually black! I heard another bear as I was crashing for the evening, I got up and yelled, didn't hear anything else, and nothing in my camp was disturbed. There was _lots_ of bear poop along the entire trail, and some backpackers clearly weren't watching out for the poop.
I parked by the Tioga Road because I was told the gate on the White Wolf road was supposed to close sometime Monday. Not sure if that happened, but it was still open when I left at 2. Caveat emptor.
Pictures.
Harden Lake:
Tuolumne River, Pate Valley. I rockhopped the river, and I saw squirrels doing so as well.
View into the valley:
