I ventured up Milk Creek to the campsite 4 miles in at the stream draining Milk Lakes. Overall not a lot of new trees down or damage since last summer (up to 4 miles anyway). Trillium and skunk cabbage blooming.

The river crossing remains intact with the addition of tons of debris lodged against the crossing logs. There is no log across the Suiattle in the immediate vicinity of the old bridge. The bridge wreck is in full view until alders leaf out. 
Little new in the 1 mile boot path along the river to the actual trail. About 10 new trees fallen between Rivord creek and campsite. Snow free. Rope in slide area still good. 

After my short sad trip up Sulphur Creek I drove to the end of the road and headed here.  My goal is to find and fix the abandoned trail up the ridge to where Grassy Point Lookout once stood, but have to get to and across the Suiattle River and perhaps Milk Creek as well to do so.

The Hiking Guide entry said Milk Creek Trail was .9 mile up Suiattle River Trail, at some point I decided I must have passed it and turned back.  Looking harder now, I thought I spotted a piece below - sure enough!  Followed it back to the junction. impossible to make out so I added a flag.  It's about 5 minutes past the creek with shaved crossing log.

Trail is terribly overgrown, I was surprised it didn't stay good with people wanting to access the river, since there are few places to along here.  I took it a short way down, but with trees angled across the steep slope I was risking my life trying to.  Unsure if there would be a way across the river I turned back.

Just now looking, the previous Reporter said they crossed the river at the trailhead and struggled x-country up the opposite side, like I did maybe 20 years ago when we couldn't find a crossing log farther up.  I was about ready to close the book, but reading this gives me some hope this trail could be used to at least access the trail up Grassy Point I will be finding soon.

Back in 2015 Miker advised “would not recommended it for a first date.” Well my wife and I are WAY past that stage, but I still wouldn’t recommend it for most couples, or most people for that matter!

The last 5 years have not been kind to this trail. In the 4 miles from Suiattle trailhead to the campsite at the creek draining from Milk Lakes, we counted over 300 down trees to go over, under or around. Sometimes logs on top of other logs, and in places requiring going over one log and under another simultaneously. I admit our down tree count includes some that can be stepped over, but even these required energy that was precious on a trail so wild that just about every step required focus. In addition to the down trees there are many branches, brush, moss, rocks, missing trail sections that slid or uprooted, and streams to ford. And this is only the first 4 miles (first mile is cross country from river crossing to trail).

We got a later start than we had planned so we hiked during the heat of the day, got up to 80 and muggy and buggy.

Still feel like exploring this? Here are the Highlights. River crossing by the Suiattle trailhead is good with 2 parallel logs to choose from spanning the main channel with other logs jammed on both ends tying to the banks. Cross country mile along the south side of Suiattle has followable sections of worn boot path but sometimes you have to deviate around recent blowdown. There are some blue flags in places to guide. There are also still some remnant orange USFS project flags for the proposed reroute. In places the boot path follows the orange then veers away from it. The path goes into the river bed for a short distance then back out. Near the end of the cross country mile you come to where the river bank is high and steeply eroded with a log jam at the base. You can either cross the log jam or skirt around it to the right on the loose rock bank, but whichever you choose, finish traversing the high bank to its east end then exit the channel and the trail is 100 feet south at the slope base. It’s a switchback where the trail turns upriver after briefly running downriver from the old bridge site. You’re now on official trail and only 143 down trees to go. Ford the creek that comes from Rivord Lake or cross on a log 100 feet upstream. Ascend several switchbacks where a few logs were bucked since 2018 and branches lopped. Several switchbacks are blowdown covered requiring short detours. Ford a small stream in a gulley with some difficult footing. Traverse a missing section of trail about 100 yards with fixed rope at upper end to help get back up onto the trail. Finally after about 3 miles the trail turns into Milk Creek drainage (only 65 down trees to go!) and descends slightly through some magnificent old Douglas fir. 

The last half mile before the campsite was probably the worst, quite a jackstrawed mess that has expanded in recent years. But there is an intact stringer bridge in there that crosses a small stream in a brushy draw. After the bridge is a section about 100 yards where the trail is invisible, then reappears just before another mostly intact bridge over a small skunk cabbage lined stream. Campsite is right next to the trail on the right, just before a major stream from Milk Lakes. There’s a big snag currently shedding dead branches onto the campsite so we pitched the tent right next to the trail out of the drop zone. 
After a peaceful nights sleep, we packed up and did it all over again in reverse. 

*Milk Creek Trail is closed!* The bridge over the Suiattle River is out and the trail hasn't been tended in years. My planned loop up the Suiattle, S on the PCT, up to Mica Lake, & out Milk Creek was canned in the TH parking lot when helpful hikers fed me this info. Recent WTA reports don't say this and a new Ranger didn't know, either. Did my homework, still got blindsided! Then my dog rolled in poop. Comically bad start to a hike.

Fortunately, my Plan B hike to Image Lake and back worked great! Up Suiattle Tr. I went to the camp at the suspension bridge just shy of the intersection w/ the PCT. Rounding the Lake & back from there would have been too far. The next marked camp was past the intersection w/ Trail 785 but closer to it than I was, so I went for it. Mercifully, there's a camp (w/ a stream and pit toilet, no less!) just shy of Tr. 785!  (How is that not marked on maps?) We called it "9-mile camp". Met some cool people there, and they helped my dog feel at home. 9.4mi from the TH, we all slept like champs.

Day 2, I ditched my tent, pads, & sleeping bag to travel light & fast for what ended up being a 14.4mi loop. Up switchback ridden Tr. 785, right for a traverse on Tr. 795, left up thru huckleberries to Lady Camp & lunch. High alpine meadows filled w/ blueberries, marmots, birds, and views. Image Lake was almost a let down after all that beauty! Ran into trail buddies from 9-mi Camp and we ventured over to the fire watchtower to meet its sole resident, Russ! Chatting away, I almost missed my cue to head out in time to get back before sunset. My pup & I bombed down the mountain w/ 30min to spare. 9-mi Camp is on the PCT and there were tons of Mexico to Canada hikers giddy to finish their journey! Slept like a champ again.

Day 3, fully packed up again, made the 9.4mi trek out. Found a lovely beach camp along the shores of the Suiattle I hadn't noticed going in. Good trip!