Forum Index > Trip Reports > White Chuck River Road 23 and trail 5/26-28/18
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Trailblazing Todd
Trail Wanderer



Joined: 26 Mar 2010
Posts: 126 | TRs | Pics
Location: Everett
Trailblazing Todd
Trail Wanderer
PostSun Dec 23, 2018 9:53 am 
I did this forest road trail in February on a very rainy day (rain gear still works fairly well) and almost got to the trailhead before I had to turn around. There is now a washout 2 miles from the White Chuck Bench trailhead that happened in January. Of all the times I pass this trailhead bathroom in the off season, it is still open. It is fun to see the seasonal change along with the water level of a stream. It took 3.5 hours to get to the trailhead in 7 miles. There were quite a few logs to go around, over or under, but it was still a nice road to walk on. I even saw the "White Chuck" bear near Owl Creek making its way down the road. It was going down stream into the bushes when I saw it. (Assuming it was the same one, I saw it near the river a couple of years back on the Bench trail) The Owl Creek bridge was built in 1999, so it only took 19 years to get where the road is today. Near the bridge, there is a nice big crack forming a crevasse that goes down about 6 feet. The Owl Creek "campground" is just one campsite. There is a picnic table still there up a side road at the end blocked by big rocks. There is also a Nerf SR Air football, a short brown beer bottle, a kettle and some electronic equipment.
Road closed for cars
Road closed for cars
First Stream Spring
First Stream Spring
First Stream Winter
First Stream Winter
Second Stream Spring
Second Stream Spring
Second Stream Winter
Second Stream Winter
Road Stream Spring
Road Stream Spring
Road Stream Winter
Road Stream Winter
Tree planting sign
Tree planting sign
Nice section of Road
Nice section of Road
Road Waterfall
Road Waterfall
White Chuck River 1
White Chuck River 1
Owl Creek Spring
Owl Creek Spring
Owl Creek Winter
Owl Creek Winter
The Big Crack
The Big Crack
Glacier Peak view
Glacier Peak view
Bear grubbing
Bear grubbing
Extended Parking posts
Extended Parking posts
Parking lot
Parking lot
Trailhead down the road
Trailhead down the road
Trailhead sign
Trailhead sign
Trailhead Camp
Trailhead Camp
Picnic Table
Picnic Table
The next day I explored how far I could go up the White Chuck river trail. There is a blowdown right at the start of the trail. However, there is a boot path made to go around it. There is also flagging to follow all along the trail. But there are many trees to climb over, still. But, when there was a trail, it was a nice trail. There is a washout that you could either make your way across with a fairly scary drop, or you could use a rope assisted straight up and around the washout. I chose the 4 foot scary crossing and made it a little better to cross. The good news is that the Fire Creek bridge is still solidly intact. Shortly after there is the junction for Meadow Mountain. I followed the White Chuck river and the flags going around a washout, then back down to the trail. But that was a mistake.
Blow downs
Blow downs
Little stream
Little stream
Big Tree on Trail
Big Tree on Trail
Am I suppose to register here
Am I suppose to register here
First Slide crossing
First Slide crossing
Fire Creek Bridge
Fire Creek Bridge
Trail junction
Trail junction
A nice part of the trail
A nice part of the trail
White Chuck River 2
White Chuck River 2
Pumice Creek and  Bridge
Pumice Creek and Bridge
I got to the Pumice Creek crossing and saw a bridge tipped on its side and the trail missing to get to it because the creek shifted a little and undercut a little part of the trail with a decent size log to climb over, also. Just upstream there was a slide which probably was the cause of the bridge shifting. I saw a log upstream that looked good to cross, but when I went straight up the hillside and over and look down and thought a while, I decided not to go all the way back down. I was tired already and I did not expect the nice 70 degree day. So, I turned around and checked out the Fire Creek trail. The Fire Creek trail started out as a nice trail, but after another blowdown, quicky disappeared into the forest as the supposed trail went up the mountain. I scouted out the forest for possible signs, but came up with nothing. So, I went back to camp an just enjoyed doing nothing but breathing in the warm fresh forest air. The next day it was back down the road with a watchout for a bear. I just saw the grubbing signs that it was making its way down the road. The purpose for this trip was to see if I could make a loop trail from Meadow Mountain. It looks like the Fire Creek trail will be the only place where I would have to route find through the forest at least some of the way.
Fire Creek trail
Fire Creek trail
Blow down 2 view
Blow down 2 view
Mile 9
Mile 9
Rock Wall stream Spring
Rock Wall stream Spring
Rock Wall stream Winter
Rock Wall stream Winter
A frog resting
A frog resting

Wherever the trail takes me.
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JVesquire
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Joined: 28 Jun 2006
Posts: 993 | TRs | Pics
Location: Pasco, WA
JVesquire
Member
PostSun Dec 23, 2018 9:58 am 
Looks like a fun exploration. I didn't go nearly that far last time I went up that trail.

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n16ht5
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Joined: 21 Jun 2010
Posts: 592 | TRs | Pics
n16ht5
Member
PostSat Jan 05, 2019 1:22 am 
Thank you for posting this

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puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks



Joined: 13 Feb 2007
Posts: 7216 | TRs | Pics
Location: Stuck in the middle
puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks
PostSat Jan 05, 2019 1:30 am 
It's great to see these shots of nature taking over. I like the comparison shots between seasons. Thanks for the report.

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BeardoMcGrath
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Joined: 16 Jan 2018
Posts: 143 | TRs | Pics
Location: Snohomish
BeardoMcGrath
Member
PostMon Jan 07, 2019 5:39 pm 
Cool to see the status of the road and trail...looks like some of the trail damage was overstated. Unless the flood damaged the trail more significantly above Pumice Creek?

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RichP
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Joined: 13 Jul 2006
Posts: 5628 | TRs | Pics
Location: here
RichP
Member
PostMon Jan 07, 2019 10:56 pm 
Here is a detailed report from 2012 from Meadow Mtn, down Fire Ck and out White Chuck. At that time it sounds like the last section of Fire Ck down at the bottom was the worst of it. I almost tried this several years ago but chickened out and did an in and out on Meadow Mtn Ridge. https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/trip-reports/trip_report.2012-10-30.8048705792

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Trailblazing Todd
Trail Wanderer



Joined: 26 Mar 2010
Posts: 126 | TRs | Pics
Location: Everett
Trailblazing Todd
Trail Wanderer
PostWed Jan 09, 2019 5:13 pm 
The washouts according to the map I have are after Pumice Creek at "multiple locations." That trip report going down the Fire Creek trail is helpful. I will probably just do a backpack to Fire Mountain and back again on the Meadow Mountain trail, also.

Wherever the trail takes me.
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Brushbuffalo
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Joined: 17 Sep 2015
Posts: 1887 | TRs | Pics
Location: there earlier, here now, somewhere later... Bellingham in between
Brushbuffalo
Member
PostThu Jan 10, 2019 7:31 pm 
Trailblazing Todd wrote:
Big Tree on Trail
Big Tree on Trail
I thoroughly enjoyed your report. What a treat to explore that popular historic road and trail as they both are returning to their unmodified-by-man state. With the conditions there now, not to mention my physical condition, it would take me about as many days as it did hours to go "car-to-summit- to-car " as it did back then.

Passing rocks and trees like they were standing still
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Backpacker Joe
Blind Hiker



Joined: 16 Dec 2001
Posts: 23956 | TRs | Pics
Location: Cle Elum
Backpacker Joe
Blind Hiker
PostFri Jan 11, 2019 7:30 am 
Using Cal Topo Im trying to figure out where the road is closed. A few years ago I hiked into Crystal lake. At that time I could drive all the way to the trailhead. Is that still possible?

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
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Trailblazing Todd
Trail Wanderer



Joined: 26 Mar 2010
Posts: 126 | TRs | Pics
Location: Everett
Trailblazing Todd
Trail Wanderer
PostSat Jan 12, 2019 1:49 pm 
No it is not possible. (See second sentence) I drove to the Crystal Lake trailhead last October. Now it is another, longer, road walk. Unless someone fixed that section of road now..

Wherever the trail takes me.
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Forum Index > Trip Reports > White Chuck River Road 23 and trail 5/26-28/18
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