Sulphur Mountain Trail was dramatically impacted by the 2020 Downey fire.  In coordination with the Forest Service trail managers, volunteers have spent quite a bit of effort resurrecting the trail.  

Previously several reports have indicated inability to find and follow the trail where trees got burned, fell, and large areas were burned completely through the ground cover and roots.  A key in helping to find the trail was gaining the existence of newer gps tracks from Darrington Forest Service and from Green Trails Maps.  The older Forrest Service maps showed the track in a very different location.  The detective work to find the trail included finding old cut log ends, existing but covered trail structures and a bridge, and seeing that there are lots of tree blazes that have grown over to be very subtle alignment indicators.  The trail is now discernible and the recent work of cut logs, tread repair, and brushing goes 1.3 miles through the area that was burned; up to about 3100 feet elevation. This trail was minimally maintained before the 2020 fire, and remains a somewhat more difficult and steep trail.  

There are hazards specific to traveling in a burn recovery area.  Trees impacted by the fire may fall any time.  I would especially caution against traveling this trail on a windy day.  

The Forest Service has not yet replaced the burned trail indicator sign where it leaves the Suiattle trail just a few yards before the Suiattle Trail Registration box.  The Wilderness Boundary Signs have also been lost and need replacing.

Simply a road report. Suiattle River Road is snow free and obstacle free for the entire length. It’s in great condition except for some pretty jarring potholes.

Road improvements ongoing on Green Mountain Road. 

I attempted to hike up the Sulfur Mountain trail but the 2020 Downey Creek fire pretty much obliterated the trail.  The first few hundred yards have some flagging and a faint tread but both of those disappeared pretty quickly.  I continued uphill anyway but steep slopes, copious blowdowns and fire debris stymied my progress.  I gave up after about a half a mile.  

The burn area apparently ends around 3500' so potentially the trail still exists up above, but gaining all that elevation in present conditions is not easy.  I hope someone rehabilitates this trail as they have done with others in the Suiattle valley!  

I just checked and the road is closed to all public entry until further notice.

The closure order is here:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/mbs/alerts-notices/?aid=75002

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I drove to the gate on the Suiattle road today. The road is currently closed at about MP 12.3, just after the cemetery. I would check with the Darrington ranger station before trying to access any trailheads out there. Tenas Creek road is also closed.

The gate is likely to get bypassed by those that do not respect the closure. Please don't just assume the road is open if the gate is open, you could still be fined for being in a closure.

***ROAD STILL CLOSED APPROX 2 miles before trailhead***

I’m disappointed that the Forrest Service has not prioritized restoring this road. The Forrest Fire which created the unsafe tree overhangs on the road, which is why it was closed in the first place was nearly 2 years ago..

I was actually climbing the mountain the day of the fire, and was about 1/2 way up when I was warned of the approaching fire by backpackers, so I was forced to turn around and still have not yet been able to complete the hike.

Why do I have a bad feeling that this is going to become another endangered trail, which could disappear eventually, similar to Mt. Higgins which also has never had access restored? It’s getting to the point that remote hikers are going to need to start choosing between either overcrowded trails well-known to the tourists, city dwellers and Instagram Influencers shooting selfies all day (I’m thinking of places like Mt. Si, Lake 22 and Mt. Pilchuck) or else parking where the roads to remote trails are closed to cars and then mountain biking to the trailhead.

I think I’ll start bugging my elected officials about this problem. I would encourage my fellow hikers to do the same, when access is closed indefinitely to a trail you enjoy or want to try.