Needed some woods and this ended up being an amazing day to go.
Hiked from Baker River Trailhead to the Noisy Creek campsites and back for a total of about 9 miles. From the moment we crossed the suspension bridge across the Baker River, to our return back over the bridge, my friend and I didn't see another human soul. But we did find lots of evidence of wildlife including some fresh predator scat and tracks on our return... that weren't there on the way in. I'm kicking myself now for not getting a picture. It's fun to think about bobcats and coyotes using the trail. Or perhaps rather, to think about these creatures whose homes we get to visit.
There are a few blowdowns on the trail, and one big one in particular that at some point fell over a freshly redone puncheon. My friend used to build and maintain trails for the USFS and observed when we came to it, "Some trail lead was crying about that one." The tree has been cut enough that it's pretty easy to get over now. Looks like recent work as past trip reports mention it intact, so thank you to the local trail crew for working on that!
A few trees might be a little challenging with a heavy pack, but nothing was impassable on that stretch. Follow the orange flags shortly after the second bridge when you hit the riverbank washout.
Happy trails!
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