Suiattle river trail

**Hulk** · 05-01-2011, 22:10

November 2006, a storm system ripped into the Pacific North West dropping a record deluge of rain. Notably the Wonderland trail around Mt Rainier got clobbered, and nothing short of a heroic effort was repaired is short order. Sadly many trails and roads that access them in other areas, that were effect by this storm are still even now just beginning to get repaired...or in a holding pattern.

Fast-forward to this weekend with some more odd ball weather, a late spring snow storm in the hills during the week, and warming temps on the weekend, conditions were ripe for avalanche hazard. Looking for a place i could put some serious miles on the legs, and no snow hazards the Suiattle was looking attractive.

I arrived at the road closure at 10:30 ish AM. I quickly ran in to a sight that i believe may be the reason it's taking so long to get the road fixed.

Yep Killer Trees!

Is this the remains of one of the Killer Trees victims

Anyway, i burned up the first three and a half miles of road in a hurry...arriving at Buck Creek camp ground.

I can report that this campground despite not having access for maintenance is in great shape. Still this not where i planned to stop. So off i went, a few miles later Green Mountain Pasture.

Still not far enough. So i kept going. Downey creek bridge. The approach washed out years ago. Last summer a pedestrian/equestrian extension was built last summer to allow trail maintenance.

I kept on going...Ten miles in is the old parking trail head parking lot. It's paved but Nature is quickly taking it back, trees saplings are pushing there way thorough the pavement

Still i was not done. So i hit the trail.

I was not 15 miles from the start of my hike. Decided it was time to set up my hammock and camp. As my pot of water finished boiling my stove went pop and burned out. Crap....i thought i packed a full canister. As i ate dinner i paced back and fourth despite just hiking 15 miles. It began to snow lightly. Weather forecast was for warming??? Faced with the unknown of it was just a snow flurry or the start of a storm, and cold breakfast. I hastily broke camp

and began to hike out via head lamp.

A 30 mile day!!!

**Pipsissewa** · 05-02-2011, 15:07

Oh my goodness! What a trip! The pictures are so beautiful! So...was it just a snow flurry or the start of a storm after all? You'll have to do that trip again and post more pictures!!! Thanks!

**Fronkey** · 05-02-2011, 15:50

Man, the woods in Wa are so beautiful. Great photos dude!

Fronkey

**Hulk** · 05-02-2011, 21:56

Originally Posted by Pipsissewa

Oh my goodness! What a trip! The pictures are so beautiful! So...was it just a snow flurry or the start of a storm after all? You'll have to do that trip again and post more pictures!!! Thanks!

It was just a flurry. It was sunny and the temps were in the mid 60's the next day. Thing to remember, especially in western half of Washington state, is that the weather is notoriously difficult to predict. The mountains have a tendency to create there own weather, rain fall or snow fall can be highly localized.

But most of all....i hate not having hot coffee in the morning.

I'm signed up for a four day trail maintenance trip on this trail in June. I will be taking more pics.