Milk Creek, Suiattle River Trail — Thursday, May. 17, 2001

North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway

Great 4 mile (one-way), half-day hike from Suiattle Rv trailhead up to Milk Creek (although a longer drive than I anticipated). Fairly steep in just a few places, very moderate to easy everywhere else. Roads and trails in very good shape. One difficult creek crossing about a quarter mile after the Suiattle River bridge. I managed to do it without getting wet at all. No snow (max elevation reached = 2400 feet). Stopped at clearing at 4 miles and shot up almost a full roll of film (okay, it was a disposable camera). Amazing Glacier Peak directly ahead to the south; high waterfall to the west; Milk Creek and impressive cliff face to the east; and behind you, to the north, beautiful snow-capped jagged peaks and Sulphur Mtn. Milk Creek crossing and campsites only five minutes past clearing. On the way back through the clearing, I coughed a couple times and about 40 feet up ahead just off the trail, a startled brown bear ran off into the woods. Stay alert in this area and make noise. Directions to trailhead: I-5 to Arlington, then Hwy 530 to Darrington. Stay north on 530 about 7 or 8 miles to Suiattle River Road. Trailhead is 23-24 miles at end of road.