Fun easy hike with the family. The trail is well maintained. We saw 1 beaver dam out in the lake.

Big ‘thank you’ to the volunteers who cleared up the trail from the slide.

A quick update on this trail. Our work party tackled the huge slide that was about .5 miles in, and it was quite a chore! We had to dig out about 3-4 feet of wet, heavy sticky clay with pieces of vine maple and fern rootballs in the mix. We mostly used the pic mattocks to loosen it and bring it down in chunks, then instead of shoveling it, we just used our hands and grabbed the chunks of clay and threw it off the trail. We also did some brushing and benching. There are a couple more work parties up there, so it should be in good shape for hiking soon. It's a muddy trail in spots, plan on muddy footwear. Lots of bleeding heart and spring beauty lining the trail, skunk cabbage and trillium still in bloom but almost done. Oh yeah, hiking pants do not block nettles if you sit on them, FYI, bring a sit pad! Loo open but no TP, big sign on the door saying NO TRASH PICKUP, and indicating if we want that loo open, better keep it clean. 

This was my very first WTA volunteer trail workday!  We cleared an impressive section of trail that had been covered by a mud slide.  The logs, plants, and trees were moved off the trail and a massive amount of clay was dug out to re-expose the tread.  So Much Mud!! Water drainage was re-established and viola there was a trail again!  The leaders were incredible, and I feel like a learned a lot.  So good to give back to the area I love.  

This trip report is a part of a scouting trip in preparation for a WTA work party on this trail in early May.  I have never been to this trail before, but I looked forward to a day out on the trail near Darrington even if it was a typical drizzly day in early spring.  I was the only one of the trail today.  The rest room is open at the trailhead.  

Based on the trip write up on the WTA website, I looked forward to finding a beaver out on Beaver Lake this morning.  The trail follows an old railroad grade so it is relatively flat along the upper reaches of the Sauk river.  The trail is wet in places since some of the drains are plugged.  Hopefully, a WTA work party within the week will take care of many of these issues.  

There is a small landslide blocking about 20 feed of trail about 1/2 mile from the trailhead that blocks the trail.  It is an easy walk around down on the slope.  Follow the social trail realignment.  There is also a few trees that require over or under or easy go around.  All are relatively straight-forward to get past.  

The spring flowers are starting to bloom along the trail.  There were columbine on both sides of the trail and swamp lilies in the low areas.  Salmonberry are also starting to bloom.  Be careful along the edge of the trail.  Stinging nettles are also growing along the edges.  

No beavers out today at the end of the trail (1.5 miles in at downed bridge since 2018).  They must have been inside eating fresh alder and vine maple branches while I stood in the rain.  I enjoyed my day out and then had enough time in the day for an adult beverage in Darrington.  

We hiked White Chuck Bench and then the Beaver Lake trail (both trailheads are across the highway from each other).

Both are beautiful forest walks. Neither has  significant views of the river if that is what you are looking for.

We enjoyed the sunshine and getting in some miles with our pup!

The Beaver Lake trail is muddy and there are stinging nettles. Beware the nettles! I accidentally brushed against them (they are everywhere and hard to avoid).