Someone, probably the Forest Service has removed the remains of the collapsed horse bridge over Indian Creek.  One of the stringers was relocated to some rocks just downstream of the bridge site and is available for crossing, but it requires good balance (and possible a dry day) as the top has not been flattened.  See first photo for a composite shot of the old bridge site and the stringer on rocks.  The stringer is unlikely to survive next spring's high water, though.

A short bypass trail was flagged and cleared to what may become a stock ford on Indian Creek about 1/8 mile downstream of the prior bridge location.  No one was working at the site on a Wednesday, and there was not a "Coming Soon!" sign to explain the plan.

Finally thanks to the unknown trail crew that removed a giant log across the trail before Indian Creek.  The WTA was scheduled to work on the upper reaches of Indian Creek in August, but I do not know if that work party happened given the lack of a bridge.  If anyone knows, please reply with a comment!

Though other trip reports have described Airplane Lake as being near Sultan, WA, they are actually describing this lake, which is nowhere near Sultan.

With the intent of summiting Mount Saul we set out at 0730 from the Indian Creek TH towards Airplane Lake. The Indian Creek trail is well maintained up until the bridge at Indian Creek (2.5 miles in), which has since collapsed. There is a USFS sign stating the bridge is closed, and warning that fording may be difficult. We accepted the risk and crossed the "safer" part of the bridge, though I would not recommend this if wet. From there, we traveled another 2.5 miles along the trail to a dispersed camping site in a wooded area next to a meadow. In this stretch, we crossed a couple of different meadows and two small streams. In these parts, the trail is practically non-existent, and may be difficult to find in the early season, before the grass is trampled. Once we reached the campsite, we found a log and two rocks (around 10 lbs each) on the right hand side of the trail, which marked the bushwhack to Airplane Lake. About 50 yards into the woods from the trail is a sign that reads "MARKING ROUTES IS PROHIBITED." From there, you literally head straight up the mountain for about 1.5-2 miles, with the occasional deviation left towards the outlet creek. The route to Airplane Lake from the Indian Creek trail is super dusty, as it takes you through a somewhat recent burn for almost the entirety. We were able to find some previous route that people had taken, but even then, it is still a dog of a hike. By 1230-1300 we reached the lake. Around 1500, my fiancee and I then headed back, leaving our friends who were summiting Saul the next day. Thinking we didn't have enough time we opted to not attempt to summit in one day. By the time we got back to the TH it was 2030. Had we temporarily marked our route on the way up, we would have not gotten lost as we approached the trail.

Five day backpacking trip around Glacier Peak.

Day 1:
Started at the White River Trail head, taking the White River trail to the Boulder Creek trail and up over Boulder Pass. The trail was in great shape this whole way. After dropping down boulder pass, the trail begins to deteriorate, getting very narrow and brushy, but easy to follow. After fording the Napeequa river (knee deep) we continued on up the valley, eventually camping in an open field.

Day 2:
Headed up towards High Pass. The trail towards the pass is extremely dense and hard to follow. It winds steeply through the trees, following what looks way more like a game trail or a climber's trail than something that's marked on actual maps. Once up in the valley below high pass the trail mostly disappears, but it's easy to just choose your own adventure any make your way up. There were pieces of trail along the way, making it easy to make it to the pass.

Once on the pass, the views were incredible. Can't believe I had never heard of High Pass before going on this trip. Strong Enchantments vibes, but no people and no permits. From High Pass, we took the Liberty Cap trail to the Buck Creek Pass trail and eventually the PCT. We took the PCT down to the Suiattle river and camped near Miner's Creek. After High Pass, the trails were in great shape and easy to follow.

Day 3:
Followed the PCT southbound to Milk Creek. The trail here is all in pretty good shape with the switchbacks down to Milk Creek being a major exception. They're very overgrown and the trail can be very narrow, making it easy to step off. Nothing too terrible, but it was pretty annoying.

Day 4:
Followed the switchbacks up to Mica Lake and Fire Creek Pass. These switchbacks are also overgrown but this time we got to do them while the plants were covered in the morning dew! We hopped in Mica Lake, but didn't stay long because of the terrible flies. There's lots of ice floating on the lake still. We had lunch at Fire Creek pass, then headed down. A couple bridges around here are broken in half, but still easily passable. They seem to have been like this for years, since I remember the bridge over Kennedy Creek being exactly the same 3 years ago when I hiked the PCT through here. We pushed on to the meadows below Red Pass. This was the longest day, with over 7000 feet of climbing.

Day 5:
Nice easy climb up over Red Pass followed by a great ridge walk with incredible views that went on forever and ever. Eventually we dropped down onto the Indian Creek trail to get back to our car. The first mile or two was fine, with some overgrowth. Then there was about 6 miles of absolute hell. The trail was totally overgrown, often with thorny plants. It didn't help that the flies were TERRIBLE that day and it was over 80 degrees. Much of the trail was unshaded as well. The bridge over Indian Creek is out, but there's still a stringer across that was easy to walk on. It's also possible to do an easy ford or maybe even rock hop if you're nimble enough. The last 2 miles of the trail were relatively well maintained and we made it back to our car after another LONG day.

My partner and I just finished up a 5-day loop around Glacier Peak. It was a wild ride full of jaw-dropping views and a whole lot of Type 2 Fun. We were on a pretty ambitious schedule, and my knees still ache as I write this. 

Here’s a breakdown of our schedule:

Day 1: Indian Creek to PCT/Foam Creek Junction (14.6 miles)
Day 2: PCT from Foam Creek Junction to Mica Lake (19 miles)
Day 3: PCT from Mica Lake to Suiattle River/Image Lake Junction (22 miles)
Day 4: Image Lake Junction to Buck Creek Trailhead (26 miles)
Day 5: Buck Creek Trailhead to car (26 miles)

Indian Creek: YIKES. Someone needs to get this trail on life support. This is probably one of the worst (yet still hikeable) trails I have ever been on. At around 2 miles, the bridge that crosses Indian Creek is badly damaged due to winter storms. There is no more decking to walk over, but one of the bridge stringers is still in place and I felt very comfortable walking across it — though I definitely would not recommend it for families with young kids. Miles 2-5 are in varying states of maintenance, but overall okay aside from the rampant mosquitos. Miles 5-11 are where everything goes downhill and you begin to question why you even like hiking. The brush is nearly constant, with only small reprieves when you reach a patch of forest. Most of the brush was as tall as me, and occasionally towered over me. Miraculously, we never actually lost the trail, but I was so beat up by the time we reached the PCT junction. My legs were covered in cuts and bumps from the sticker bushes, woody branches and nettles lining the trail, and my arms were exhausted from swimming through the brush.

This trail could really, really use some love. It is such a vital route in the Glacier Peak circumnavigation and it is sad to see it in such disrepair. I really hope a bridge replacement is in the cards and that a few trail crews can make their way out here next year... I fear this trail will be all but lost in a few years if it doesn’t see some work.

Pacific Crest Trail: The PCT through the Glacier Peak Wilderness is wonderful. Incredible views of Glacier Peak, endless wildflower meadows and dozens upon dozens of marmots. 

A few things to note: there was one sketchy patch of snow to traverse just north of Fire Creek Pass. We hiked straight on through it and followed the path of well-worn footprints, but other folks opted to climb over and around the snow. Mica Lake is still about 90% iced over. The trail becomes rather brushy and unpleasant right around the Milk Creek junction. This area is very remote and difficult for trail crews to reach, so it’s not too surprising that the trail is in such a poor condition. Out of the 350+ miles of PCT I’ve hiked in Washington, this section is by far the worst (but still pales in comparison to Indian Creek). 

Image Lake via Miners Ridge: This was far and away the most well-maintained section of trail we hiked on during our trip. The switchbacks leading up to the lookout from the Suiattle are just superb. The grade is incredible, the tread is lovely, and I can’t remember a single downed tree. It was a lovely way to start the morning! We hiked this section on a cloudy day, so we missed out on Glacier Peak views, but Image Lake is beautiful regardless, and the meadows just north of the lake are stunning with or without sunshine. 

Buck Creek Pass: Our entire time along Buck Creek was spent in the clouds and occasional rain -- so no big mountain views for us. Originally, we had planned to take the Cloudy Pass/Lyman Lakes/Spider Gap route back south, but when the icky weather rolled in, we opted for Buck Creek instead. Going south from the PCT junction, this trail has a smattering of downed trees and is a little worse for wear. The grade is rather steep towards the end, but you do eventually pop out into some lovely meadows (I’m sure the views here are great in the sunshine, too). It was wet and miserable while we were up top, so we tried to make it back down to lower elevations as quickly as we could. A large swath of the Buck Creek trail is through a burn area, which I wasn’t really expecting. It was a bit stormy and windy while we hiked through, which is not my fav weather for burn zone hiking, but the abundant huckleberries were a nice distraction.

Little Giant Pass/Napeequa River: This trail is a stunner, but it really makes you work for those views. Immediately after the trailhead sign, you will need to ford the Chiwawa River. I am rather short (5’2”) and I had no problem with it. The water came up to my mid thigh and was slow moving and gentle. From here, you will hike entirely uphill with varying degrees of steepness. The first mile or two is fairly well graded and quite shaded with ripe berries. 

The trail coming down into Napeequa Valley from the top of Little Giant Pass is listed as “Unmaintained” by the Forest Service, but I thought it was in pretty decent shape. It is a steep descent with rocky and uneven tread, but the trail is easy to follow and the views are just breathtaking the whole way down. Through the valley itself, the trail gets a little more obscured but is still manageable. At some point, you will need to ford the Napeequa River which is another deep yet calm river. Where we crossed, the water came up over my hips and I wasn’t thrilled with the speed of the current. I made it (obviously), but I would recommend spending a bit more time down here searching for the safest way across. 

Boulder Creek/Pass: After the Napeequa crossing, the trail up and over Boulder Pass is once again listed as “Maintained”. This trail was in much better shape than Little Giant and had a great grade. There were a few small sections of brush but nothing too bad. There was also plenty of water along the ascent, so no need to carry water for too long. Boulder Pass itself has nice views, but it really can’t compare with the views from Little Giant Pass. If you’re going to hike to one of them — I would absolutely recommend Little Giant.

White River: I can only attest to the first 4 miles of the White River Trail (up until the turnoff with Boulder Creek), but it was surprisingly well maintained. The mosquitoes here are miserable, and there wasn’t really much to see, so I can’t say I would recommend a stop here unless you plan on connecting it with Boulder Pass.