Was staying up in the area and got dropped off at the trail head about a mile from highway 410. There is currently more snow at the trail head than a 1/4 mile up trail. There are stretches of ice on the trail and snow in patches but most of the trail was 1-3 inches of mud. I was able to climb about 1,500 feet in the first hour and then decided to turn around as I hit a major blow down of three trees, the trail was muddy and ice. This was also the time to turn around as I was solo and had an agreed time to up and either hit all snow or my time limit. I was wearing yaktrax (had snowshoes but there is no snow). Without the yaktrax I would have turned around much, much sooner. Besides some slippery conditions and rainy day in the 40's the hike was great and delivered for a Northwest mountain rainy hike. I found 4 trees down in the first 2 or so miles. The only one that posed any issue was right at the end.

This is a surprisingly little-used trail to interesting views across to Nelson Ridge and the Fifes Peaks, and down to the Kettle Creek drainage with the ice-cream cone of Rainier looming high above the opposite valley wall. Even Stuart can be seen. Mostly good tread, and mostly even and moderate grade. The trail has pretty obviously not been maintained this year, and probably not last year either. A fair amount of deadfall, all easily stepped-over or bypassed by hikers, until … at a little less than 2 miles in, a humongous tree has fallen straight downhill across a trail switchback. The first crossing pretty much has to be a climb-over – possible, but not easy for the short legged. The second crossing requires thrashing out a considerable detour uphill and around the uprooting point and associated mess. On the return hike, now knowing the deadfall was across a switchback (not evident on the way up, as the super-log is seems to be nearly 200’ long), we cut the switchback, only mildly longer than the lengthy detour around the upper trail-blockage. If you do the trail before the next maintenance (hopefully soon to occur), don’t cut the switchback too close to the big bole – it created a debris jumble while falling. Fortunately, above this blockage, once again everything on the trail can be stepped over, ducked under, or easily and briefly detoured by hikers (maybe not so much by horses). For those not familiar with the area, the trailhead is a short ways past the hamlet of Goose Prairie, on the right, shortly after the Bumping River bridge first becomes visible ahead (if you cross this bridge, you have gone slightly too far). After about 5 ½ miles through forest with intermittent and sometimes screened views, the Goose Prairie trail attains the crest of American Ridge and meets the American Ridge trail. Turn west (left) and continue for another half-mile or so up through forest gaining another 200’, followed by a rather short scratch trail (leaving American Ridge Trail on the left ~100 yards before it starts downhill off the ridgecrest) up to a 6310’ high point on a broad, meadowy knoll and sweeping views. The scratch trail is actually probably plainer than the American Ridge trail (which has been easy to follow up to that point). Not nearly as many flowers this year as usual (probably due to the extended early-mid July dry spell), but still some.

Great trail with lots of solitude and knockout views- after a confusing start the Mesatchee trail visits picturebook waterfalls to an unmarked jct atop American Ridge, which then ambles along toward scenic- and miraculously bug free- Cougar Lakes. A snowy exit on little-used trail to another unsigned jct with the PCT, and jaw-dropping views: Tatooshses, Mt Adams, Goat Rocks, Old Snowy, Mt St Helens on the horizon, and the rock and snow wall of Rainier at your elbow- spectacular. An unexpectedly buggy camp high on the ridge above Laughingwater made sense the next day's exit- miles below Three Lakes infested with blood suckers- pretty lakes though. Thanks to Randi of Packwood and her help with trailhead dropoffs & pickups- a real trail angel.

Abandon all hope - actually, abandon most hope. I tried to get to American Ridge from 3 trailheads and was stymied at each. Pleasant Valley campground, as near as I can tell, doesn't have a trailhead any more. Trail 958B at the Fifes Peak viewpoint runs down to the American River but it's a dicey ford and there didn't seem to be much of a trail on the other side. And the Mesatchee trailhead seems to dead end about a half mile in at some campsites. I gave up and decided to go to Bumping Lake but coincidentally there's a fourth access point just a mile in from 410 on the Bumping Lake Road and this time the trail did actually go up to the ridge successfully. I would have tried the Goat Peak trail but figured there would still be a lot of snow up there. Lots of great wildflowers out now; saw some elk and a spectacular bird that I need to ID.

Went 2 miles in before losing trail and turning around to head back. No one else on the trail at all except for some deer. Beautiful!