It's not often you find 50 miles of proportionally challenging and spectacular backpacking, with top-notch camp sites, azure lakes, wild rivers, huge trees, and minimal bugs. We hiked from the Suiattle River trailhead to the Lost Creek Ridge Trailhead, mostly on the Pacific Crest Trail, over 5 days. We found beautiful camps at Suiattle River, Vista Ridge, Mica Lake, and Lake Byrne.
The Suiattle River Trail and PCT were in fine shape by Glacier Peak Wilderness standards: some down trees, rough trail, brush in places, but easy to follow. Things got REAL when we left the PCT just before Sitcum Creek. The ~1 mile trail down to Whitechuck River was abandoned and covered with plentiful blowdown but not hard to follow. Just upstream of the spur trail's end at the river is a messy logjam crossing. Cairns and flagging mark the way from the opposite bank, into the woods, to the start of the climb up the abandoned trail to Lake Byrne and Lost Creek Ridge. Finding our way from the river bank to the start of the abandoned Lake Byrne Trail took a bit of patience in the woods, as only a smattering of tracks, old trail tread, and bits of flagging, mark the way in a down-valley direction through mud, brush, and down trees ~100 yards to the actual trail up the hillside. This trail has seen no maintenance but is easy to follow as it charges up steep shady switchbacks, often turning straight uphill to avoid some of the abundant blowdown. Lake Byrne was worth the struggle, with great swimming and perfect camping. It looked like the fishing here and at Camp Lake would be great too. The spectacular Lost Creek Ridge trail is easy to follow, but it's no "cruise" along the ridge from Lake Byrne to Round Lake - the way is unmaintained with seemingly endless ups and downs. The final drop from Round Lake to the trailhead is on well-loved trail.
This trek was not for the beginning backpacker or faint of heart! There was over 10,000 vertical feet of elevation gain, little signage, and the miles of tread are rugged. But have you ever seen anything so full of splendor?
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