Forum Index > Trip Reports > Suiattle River Trail, GPW, 10/17/06
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hermes
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Joined: 24 Feb 2005
Posts: 449 | TRs | Pics
hermes
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PostWed Oct 18, 2006 10:36 am 
Spent a couple of hours yesterday checking out my favorite river. No sign of any repair work on Downey Creek road bridge but there is now a ramp beside the ladder.
Suiattle River Trail, Glacier Peak Wilderness, WA, USA
Suiattle River Trail, Glacier Peak Wilderness, WA, USA
There is no sign of work on a replacement for the Milk Creek (hiker/horse) bridge (which used to span the Suiattle) though there is a pile of materials right beside the Downey Creek road bridge which may be destined for that area. There has been tremendous work on the Suiattle River trail. The first washout is now bypassed by a mostly industrial strength trail
Suiattle River Trail, Glacier Peak Wilderness, WA, USA
Suiattle River Trail, Glacier Peak Wilderness, WA, USA
that takes you up to a bench well above the river and continues along the upper end of the bench before coming down to the old trail at a well disquised point. I say "mostly" because the surface is still unconsolidated in places (looks like a horse broke through in one area) and it looks like there are still a couple of stumps to be removed. The second washout is bypassed with a rather grand entrance section
Suiattle River Trail, Glacier Peak Wilderness, WA, USA
Suiattle River Trail, Glacier Peak Wilderness, WA, USA
followed by new trail blasted straight through rock 20 to 30 feet above the river. The third washout (which was caused by a mud and debris slide more than the river flood) is very hikable but not up to Suiattle standards - it seems the slide is still active and the recent rains have already made mush of a couple of sections. Just beyond there is a very well reconstructed section so it's proabable that work is not finished here yet and/or the builders realized the futility of making a trail across an active slide. That's as far as I got in the couple of hours I had. Sure made much faster progress than my last trip up there in September 2004 when I had to pick my way around the river bed! My deepest gratitude to the builders - excellent work - not just in trail building but in "blending" in the new sections! Thank you.

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Quark
Niece of Alvy Moore



Joined: 15 May 2003
Posts: 14152 | TRs | Pics
Quark
Niece of Alvy Moore
PostThu Oct 19, 2006 8:05 pm 
Hey, Hermes - where the trail is still damaged - does the trail go down to the river and back up? The bridge over the Suiattle at Milk Cr will be installed this spring - the contract has been awarded. The old bridge is laying on the banks of the Suiattle downriver a ways. Ain't it ghostly walking on that road? Didja check out the Sulpher Cr CG? All those picnic tables and sites with natures debris all over the place - eerie. Thanks for the pics and trail update.

"...Other than that, the post was more or less accurate." Bernardo, NW Hikers' Bureau Chief of Reporting
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hermes
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Joined: 24 Feb 2005
Posts: 449 | TRs | Pics
hermes
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PostWed Oct 25, 2006 12:44 am 
Quark, not sure I know what you mean by your question but if you are talking about the last piece of damage - no, there is a new trail across the mudslide but the mud is still sliding - still way better than going down to the river and back up though - I remember doing that several times in 2004 on my way to Miners Ridge! On the Milk Creek situation - I read this:
Suiattle River Trail, Glacier Peak Wilderness, WA, USA
Suiattle River Trail, Glacier Peak Wilderness, WA, USA
to mean that work would be done this fall. Am I misinterpreting which work item is the bridge in question? Your poignant report with the bridge pic was the first intimation I had that others were also deeply affected by the Suiattle. Very comforting.

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Quark
Niece of Alvy Moore



Joined: 15 May 2003
Posts: 14152 | TRs | Pics
Quark
Niece of Alvy Moore
PostWed Oct 25, 2006 7:56 am 
Hermes, the work was supposed to be done this fall, but there were some issues; resolved, and the updated report is that it will be done in spring - Downey Creek bridge, and the bridge over the Suiattle (to Milk Creek trail). I think it's the same contractor. The Darrington ranger station and the Sauk River Trading Post in Darrington have an updated flyer showing the awards and start dates. The Sauk River Trading Post is a good place to get a locals' perspective of forest issues. Just go in & start talking, if you get a chatty clerk, which isn't difficult except on Sunday. No word on a bridge to Circle Peak area. The section of trail I was asking about is indeed the slumpy section. I understand there are some environmental concerns regarding the engineering of the work on that section of trail - no resolve yet as far as I know. The Suiattle Rv trail is a horse trail, and has to be built to horsetrail standards.

"...Other than that, the post was more or less accurate." Bernardo, NW Hikers' Bureau Chief of Reporting
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hermes
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Joined: 24 Feb 2005
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hermes
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PostThu Oct 26, 2006 1:35 pm 
Thanks for the additional info and contacts Quark. Good to hear that the work on Milk Creek bridge is scheduled. BTW, I did look in on Sulphur Creek CG - there's brush growing up through the campground road and taking root in the several feet of glacial sand dumped by the river in the lower part of the campground. The creek is smellier than I ever remember it being. I closed the doors of the outhouses and put rocks to keep them that way so they do not deterioriate unnecessarily.

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