Steve: Yes it was obvious where to cross the slabs once you get to the spot in the willows below the Matterhorn looking boulder shown in your photo above. The willows are still very tall and thick, and you have to be right on the passage way through the willows before you see the obvious crossing.
I don't want to give the impression that the route has cairns every 20'. There are several places where you may pass a cairn, but can't see the next one from the previous one. Having some good "mountain sense" and a little back country navigation skill makes it easy to stay on track when you know the direction you should be going. However, this is not a place I would send somebody who showed up at the trail head with new price tags hanging off their pack or even maybe a more experienced hiker who has never really been off trail before. Hope this helps.
