The summer season is definitely here. Expect crowded parking lots at the easy to reach/popular trailheads. Harvard is in great shape and so is Columbia. There are still a few snow patches to cross on the traverse, but if you go early they are rock hard and post-holing is not an issue. From the trailhead it took 3hr28min to summit Harvard, the summit of Columbia was reached at 5hr48min and the total round trip time was 7hr47min. No need for spikes to cross the snow. Beautiful day out there today. Start early and be prepared for a long day. The hike down Columbia is terrible with all the loose rock/gravel so take your time. Lots of people camping in the basin and the parking lot was full so if you are looking for solitude go during the week to avoid the weekend crowds.
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