From the end of the Suiattle River we crossed over the river on the Milk Cr. trail bridge, and in just about a 100 yards as the trail turns to the east is a faint path that is the beginning of the trail up Lime Ridge. This is just a fisherman's trail and is very difficult to follow the first 500 ft. up the hillside, a number of large blow downs hinder ones progress. As this insn't really a trail, there sure are quite a few parties who are going into this area, many more than are using the Meadow Mtn. trail. You gain 3,200 ft. the first couple of miles to reach Box Mtn. Lakes, another 800 ft. to reach Upper Rivord Lake, our first camp. The next day we only hiked about 3 miles to reach Milk Lakes, passing Twin Lakes along the way. Excellent camps at all these lakes, and the trail although faint, can easily be followed by experienced alpine travelers. Don't go to these lakes thinking they are chock full of big fish. They are only Eastern Brook and are quite small; big heads with little bodies. On the 3rd day we hiked south along the ridge to the pass just above Lime Lake, hiking to the SSW up the ridge from the pass to about 6,000ft., where we traversed downward along alp slopes nearly one mile from Lime Lake to the large basin at 5,700ft., just to the North of Fire Mtn. The old maps show this as a glacier, but the new 7.5 Min. map from 1988 shows a creek. In fact in recent years a new lake has formed and is about the same size as Lime Lake. It is in a deep hole and is very impressive, even more so when you don't expect it. We didn't have heavy boots or ice axes, and they would be required to go around the lake or to gain the ridge above from anywhere on the lake shore. We found a series of ledges, just across the outlet stream, with a few mid fifth class moves, not dangerous, that connect the ledges to climb up from this hole just at the outlet from the lake. This was the only way out to gain access to the ridge top above the Meadow Mtn. trail at mile #12 along that trail. The short pitch was only about 80 ft., not a real biggy unroped if you have had previous rock climbing experience. We then hiked and scrambled up easy rock and heather about a half mile to the west up to pass at 6,000+ ft. and dropped down to the basin and the trail to Meadow Mtn. We hiked to and camped at Diamond Lake/Emerald Lake for the 3rd night. On day four we hiked to Meadow Lake and camped, and hiked out on day five over the hump to Crystal Lake and home. All of the trails in this area are fairly easy to follow, with lots of horse use. The trail on the road section out to the car was brused out with power tools this summer.

bugs bugs bugs. skeeters, swarming black flies and the big, biting helicopter flies that hunt you down like the big bag of blood that you are. impervious to deet and psychological break-downs. thursday a sturdy breeze kept all but the most voracious from swarming, and we got a chance to swim...the lake is beautiful and the perfect temp for swimming. we assumed someone stocks the lake as the fish were really jumping. (the last mile of the trail on the way in is a bit wet and steep with a pack so take care. we spent two nights. forest service trails directions from Darrington R. Station were accurate and easy to follow, but Eckart Schmidt's review accessed by clicking the more detailed ""Trail Reviews"" from this site offers a little more.)

The Meadow Mt trail is really quite spectacular with miles of flowers and grand high views. It seems to be somewhat people-free, possibly due to a 5 mile road walk. But that only takes 2 hours, and after that it's glorious trail in primo condition. And the roadwalk hints of views to come: Mt Pugh and many other peaks. After the junction with the Meadow Lake trail the route stays high for the most part. The flowers (and their companions, the insects) are out in force, maybe even out in fives. After a lame attempt on Meadow Mt (got way off route and lost interest) I stumbled my way to meadows and streams below Fire Mt and collapsed into a lovely slumber. The next day, feeling refreshed, I climbed Fire Mt on what must be a new route. A more intelligent route was my descent choice. Then backtracking on the Meadow Mt trail to the Meadow Lake junction and down to the lake. I'd give this lake 2 stars (out of 4). Nice but not spectacular. Not wanting to climb back up to the trail, I decided to try a cross country route to Crystal Lake. There is an obvious route to a saddle that I hoped to use. Got lucky and found out I wasn't the only one with that idea. In fact, there is a blazed route between the two lakes. Not sure if the route was put there by the FS years ago, or stomped out by fishers. Crystal Lake is nice enough (also 2 stars) with lots of soggy grass around it. Some great camps. The trail down is extremely brushy in places and STEEP. Note: also a lot of brush on the Meadow Mt trail starting a few miles W of Fire Mt. Could use a good brushwhippin'.

There are over 2000 trails in this state. Most of them are good hard workers sometimes one goes bad or gets lost, then they call me, I’m a trail detective. I was working the day shift out of trailicide when I first heard about her. Seems that the cutoff between Circle Creek and Crystal Lake had disappeared. She was one of those trails you want to take care of. A shortcut to Crystal Lake and Meadow Mountain without the road walk. She had the kind of come-hither look that said, ""Walk all over me with your heavy boots"". The usual suspects were given the third degree. Beckey said she was the preferred route to Circle Peak and was last seen leaving the Crystal Creek tail at the second switchback ¾ of a mile from the lake headed in a northwesterly direction. 100 Hikes in the Glacier Peak area said the Forest Service would soon close the Circle Creek Road and use her to access to Circle Peak. The sketch map showed her leaving the Circle Peak Trail before the first meadow going over the ridge. Green Trails 1997 revision of the Sloan Peak quad didn’t show her but clearly showed the switchback and trail where the intersection should be. The latest Forest Service Map clamed up and didn’t even mention the Circle Creek Road, Circle Peak Trail, or nothing. It’s older brothers from the 70’s told of all of them though. There were reports on WTA from folks saying the Circle Peak Trail was in good shape but abandoned by the guy who shoulda taken care of her, the USFS. I called up my partner Mark Trail and said we should look for her this weekend with Trace (the trail dog) because the snow had finally melted and we were between hunting seasons. We didn’t want to be thrashing around the woods near logging roads with an animal whose tail resembled that of a mule deer. So we packed up Friday night in a downpour and left in the morning for Circle Creek Road No. 2703. The road, a spur off Rat Trap Pass No. 27 was in fine shape to the end but wasn’t talking. We headed up the gravel through a clear-cut at the road end following Trace’s tail, and then intersected a trail traversing the hill. She came in from the right heading up the hill. She was a bit time worn but sweet with old squeaking bridges and puncheon. She led us up to a couple broad meadows that would be nice to lie around in for a while. Then she led us astray switch backing up a snowy hillside. The altimeter said we were way too high to go where we wanted. Turned out she was just that old tramp, the Circle Peak Trail. So we headed back down looking for the right intersection. We never found an intersection but descended all the way to the clear-cut and headed up toward the ridge between Circle Creek and Crystal Creek where we saw a new blaze. It was a typical clear-cut ascent through slash and mud. At the ridgecrest the way got easier and we ascended until we thought we saw a way down. It was incredibly steep and slippery hanging Trace up in brush at one point. There we found her, right where Becky said she would be. She was going downhill fast with a one-way ticket for green hell. She had been hanging with loggers and was covered with slash and trash. Then brush got higher and thicker and she was gone again. We were confident there would be an intersection with the Crystal Creek trail at about 4000 feet. We had put a GPS waypoint at the intersection point, but we passed below the point without even Trace seeing a trace of a trail. Finally we hit the old road up Crystal Creek not shown on the Green Trails Map, but now serving as a trail. She will be gone in a year or two like her sister if not brushed. We ascended in brush and mud until it went straight up to intersect the old trail at 4200 feet. We stumbled into Crystal Lake basin after 4 hours and camped under bright stars for the night. The next morning frost was everywhere and the meadows were frozen solid. We headed off for the extension of the Meadow Lake Trail the Sierra Club guide had promised. We found a decent tread coming down to the east end Crystal Lake and Trace bounded up it. The tread disappeared in a rocky meadow but a faint path led upward before disappearing in snow. At the crossing of the ridge the tread resumed and a large cairn was seen. The tread disappeared in deep snow but Meadow Lake could be seen below and Glacier Peak in winter attire was in the distance. We turned around, as we knew there was a long ways home. Giving up on ever finding the cutoff we put a GPS waypoint at a small 5200-foot pass that was right above the last meadow on the Circle Peak Trail. We left the Crystal Lake Trail traversing up through steep but open woods following benches but no trail crossing the ridge at 5100 feet. A check of the GPS showed that it was a long ways down through steep woods to the trail, so we continued up the ridge. We found the pass 5200’ and saw several trees had been sawed here. There was still no trail. We debauched into the meadow below where we picked up that old tramp the Circle Peak Trail and rode her home. The moral of the story is if you find a trail you like you have to take care of her, or she will leave you.

As already noted by our predecessor, the alder bushes are growing back on the upper reaches of Forest Road 2710, Spur 011, but it is easy to walk. Following his suggestion, we carried a bow saw and cleared some of it. As of 2 July 1998, trail was snow free until it enters the lake basin. Lake shore was still under snow and all camp sites under snow or filled with melt water.