[MtnGoat]

Anybody know if they've replaced the bridge over the White River yet (Wenatchee drainage)? Scoping next year's trips and want to plan wether to add my annual Indian Creek pilgrimage this year. I 'spose I could look at the FS website but that's more boring than asking here.

[Mike Collins]

There is a beautiful state-of-the-art bridge in place. I walked over it twice last summer. If you are interested in climbing Indian Head peak this summer then drop me a line.

[MtnGoat]

That's great news. We were real bummed last year when an Indian creek trip got turned into a White river trip instead, as it was July 4th weekend and the river was still raging too high to be forded with a pack. We'd just signed in, and headed for the bridge (friday night after dark) to get hoofing, when what to our surprise but no bridge. And a surprise it was, because it was a mighty bridge way above the water. Not mighty enough I guess, I hope the new one is ultra mighty and stays a while. Nothing wrong with the White, it's pretty spectacular, but Indian creek and some excellent destinations there were beckoning. This year, then! I might consider a loop trip, that looks like a grand ridge run.

[Mike Collins]

Sawyer and I climbed Saul via White River bridge last summer. He has been up Indian Creek to the pass and could give you some information on that. It was very brushy from what he told me.

[MtnGoat]

I've not been as far as the pass yet, but I'm familiar with some of the brush situation because I spend a lot of time on Indian creek itself, and it's not very close to the trail except in a couple spots. In most places there's a fair bushwhack over to it, not tremendously far but tedious anyway.

[Sawyer]

Both the upper White River and Indian Creek trails are brushy. Miles of brush on Indian Creek. There was a ford a few miles upriver from the parking area, which is mentioned in Routes and Rocks. I looked for it but didn't see an obvious path, or ford spot. But probably a good late summer ford is available. I heard the bridge was $17,000 (or $25,000? I forget). It looks pretty solid, lots of welded steel (rusting already). Indian Head is very straightforward scramble from the PCT. There might be a route not too brushy from Indian Creek? I dunno, it may be quite the brush bash. New register up there from later summer 2001.

[lopper]

That new bridge over the WR is a most welcome improvement. I am pretty sure that the rust Sawyer mentioned is not an indication of poor materials, but an intended feature of the alloy selected. Instead of galvanizing or painting the steel members, the USFS and NPS and highway departments now often use steel that has been concocted so that the outer surface rusts into a durable patina that resists further weathering. You see it a lot in highway guardrails these days. The trails up Panther and Indian Creeks are overdue for a haircut. snip snip.

[MtnGoat]

Panther creek looks like an interesting daytrip. The valley bottom has some real mini-canyon like countours back by Ibex creek. Some maps show the Panther creek trail considering on for at least a few more miles past Ibex, others show it stopping just before Ibex creek. Who's right?

[Damian]

Hey Chris if you're looking for some company hiking Indian Ck this summer let me know. Been meaning to check it out one of these years.

[MtnGoat]

Fishing? Don't know what you're talking about! You're in. You won't regret it. Big river style eddies and holes, a meandering medium sized creek with lots of bends and sand bars and in all my trips, not a soul other than my party.

[Damian]

Fishing? Where the heck didja get the notion I was talking bout fishing?

[MtnGoat]

must have been hallucinating, it's that pesky paranoia thing again. I must have forgotten my meds. Sure, we'll *hike* Indian Creek. Yah, that's the ticket.

[MounTAIN Woman]

I was on the Indian Creek Trail last summer as part of a longer traverse, which also included a climb of Indian Head Peak. Check out my report on the WTA website under "Little Indian Traverse" for beta on the climb and the trail conditions. I remember many sections that were brushy, and parts with lots of water flowing on the trail. But it's doable. That's a great area up there and I highly recommend an ascent of Indian Head Peak. Nice scramble finish to a hike-up (off trail) peak with great views.

[MtnGoat]

Cripes, I'd forgotten about the Indian creek bridge being in such lousy shape by the Indian/White confluence. I'm glad it was replaced with a log, that section of the creek rages pretty good and I'd hate to ford it.

[lopper]

The White Pass/Indian Head area has outstanding alpine ridge-cruising. And interesting rocks as well.....I like the big schist boulders studded with garnet dodecahedrons. It used to be a good place to be buzzed by Whidbey NAS guys in A7 Corsairs. That dates me, I know.