[summithound]

hetrekker, I don't know anything more than that. It was simply a quick mention from the WTA crew leader.

[hetrekker]

Hey, summithound. Thanks for that. I called Darrington FS this morning about that rumor. I was the second this morning to do so. The only thing this year, they heard in a meeting, was that funds had been appropriated to conduct a "study" of a possible bridge. I was asked to call back in a few after they ran down the latest info. The Darrington rangers that I have spoken with have all been a class act; very helpful, gracious, good attitudes, open and honest, and willing to give their opinion not only on the letter of the law but also the enforced spirit of the law. My exchanges with them have been nothing but enjoyable; that is in stark contrast to the mouthy forumites here who presume to speak for them.

[spamfoote]

I doubt that area will get run "through". That area had a bridge and trail for many many years and it was always very overgrown and very sparse in terms of crowds. True, the population has gone way up, and the number going into the backwoods on day hikes has also gone up, but, if history is any indication, it won't be as we still are not seeing a giant jump in overnight backpackers. This is the same as saying Lake Byrn and Pilot ridge will also be very crowded. Or Glacier meadows and red pass... All gorgeous areas with a few backpackers, but not exactly "over run". This is effectively the equivalent of saying the Downy creek trail/Bachelor creek/Cub lake will be over run. Stunning area, beautiful dark dank forest with great alpine scenery and yet... hardly a soul other than those few doing the Ptarmigan traverse.

[Bedivere]

Has the backcountry gotten that de-populated in the last 10 years or so? When i went to Cub Lake we had at least two parties exiting the PT go through, there may have been more. Every bush near that lake had TP under it. It definitely showed signs of plenty of use by PT travelers, and there's a lot of them as that's a very popular traverse. When I went to Lime Ridge, back in '98 I think it was, there were lots of people up there, too. We didn't find the trail on the way up and ended up bushwacking up to Rivord Lk. where we camped (and no one else there) but when we went through the other lakes on the way out there were lots of people there and the trail was easy to follow on the way down. The reason we didn't find it was because there had been a slide that obscured the bottom 100' or so of it.

[spamfoote]

[mountainsandsound]

I remember coming down Milk Creek in 2000 at the end of a 5 day trip and it was really brushy. I was in high school and it was a great time, I'd love to see that trail come back.

[mountainsandsound]

[hetrekker]

Hi gb. I plan on giving a detailed response in a new thread that concentrates completely on the milk creek trail. Chiwakum, if I remember correctly, you had just returned from getting boots you had forgotten at the river crossing? And we had just returned from a 6 hour unsuccessful new route try up to lime ridge. We took off shortly after you left at about 3 to reach lime ridge via the pipe. Instead of heading up the pipe at the bottom we crossed rivord creek, took the milk creek trail switchbacks up past the last one, and crossed rivord creek to intercept the pipe further up. Took an extra hour to find the pipe trail gulley. After going up the chute (I bet you recognize that description) we encountered that thigh high woody springy ground cover making it difficult to follow the trail at twilight. Took about an hour to finally find where the trail went. Got lost a number of times in the dark, mostly due to our 15 yr old cheesey single AA clip on flashlights(they work fine for all night forays on the Wonderland, but not on this hike). Finally arrived at box at 2 am. Turned out to be quite the adventure. Do you have plans on going up again this year? Have you thought of going up via milk creek trail?

[Backpacker Joe]

I've been wanting to hit up Lime ridge for years. For those who've done it, what is the preferred route? From mica north, or from Box Mountain south? With respect to the ridge run.

[Kim Brown]

[Kim Brown]

[olderthanIusedtobe]

[spamfoote]

The bushwack up the milk creek valley has to be just as bad if not worse than just going straight up hill cross country after crossing the Suiattle. AT least it is in heavy forest. Google Earth is you best buddy, even better than a map in such instances when avoiding brush. Milk Creek has multiple large avalanche swath nightmares you have to traverse. The trail by now must essentially be gone in such places. It was pretty bad before the washout. Not as bad as S. Cascade, but bad. Been 12+ years now. Wouldn't be surprised if the two are about equal. Until the Milk Creek trail is reopened/rerouted, I would say, do not go to Mica Lake.

[Frango]

[hetrekker]

Unlike one prolifically mouthy poster here with a penchant for spewing assumptions, misinformation, hearsay, heresy, and rudeness, I have actually done these routes last fall. I started hiking at age 49 just 15 years ago, and up until last fall had done nothing but well traveled trails. Now I'm a fat old man with health issues and I like to think that if I can do these routes and succeed the first try there aint nothin here too hard for you guys. So let's dispel some of this idiocy with fresh knowledge: it takes 10 times the effort (at least) to go straight uphill as it does to take the milk creek trail. Going straight up is not thru heavy forest; it is a high canopied open forest with thick duff underfoot for good traction, relatively inconsequential brush, no surprises, and no views until you get to the top. Google Earth is not your best buddy; it will tell you nothing of what's under that canopy, so use a contour map. Milk creek trail has only 1 small avalanche swath about 150 feet across that take less than 5 minutes even if you go slowly. There is good, easy, well defined trail in these places. I found the milk creek trail obvious and easy to follow until almost the end where the switchbacks start up. I myself won't be attempting to find or use those switchbacks, but will be scouting out what I've determined will be an easier and shorter route to the pct. There was but one spot I had to stop for a minute to figure out where the trail went; I won't have to stop there next time. When I did the mct last October there were no leaves on the bushes and I think that helped with trail following, and I'm eager to try it again in the near future to see if I can still figure it out. Anyone want to come with? Note:when I did the trail it was out of curiosity, I had no goals, and I did not expect to make it. I didn't take a compass, map, or gps which I consider distractions from observation. Questions?