I set out to hike the North Fork Sauk River trail, approaching from the Darrington side of the Mountain Loop. There were several trees down on the Mountain Loop which blocked one lane or more, but it was passable with no snow until the turn to Forest Road 49. Snow began to appear on FR49 soon after the North Fork Sauk Falls trailhead at one mile in, at about 1800'. As the snow got a little deeper and there were multiple branches down on the road (some of which I had to remove to drive by), given that more precipitation and winds were in the forecast, I became concerned that if I made it to the trailhead at 6.5 miles in from the Mountain Loop, a tree could come down during my hike and block my exit. So I turned around and decided to head to my back-up hike at Marten Creek on the Verlot side of the Mountain Loop. On the way out I did a quick visit to the North Fork Sauk Falls (only a quarter-mile in), which is always a rush, and particularly after a very rainy week. It was in full gushing glory.
Heading south toward Barlow Pass, I made it to within 1.5 miles of the pass, but unfortunately the snow on the road got so deep that I feared bottoming out in the middle of my car (an Outback). A higher-clearance vehicle could likely have made it, but I didn't want to risk it as I knew there was a little more elevation gain to get to the pass. So I turned around and drove back to Darrington and then over to Granite Falls and proceeded up the Mountain Loop via Verlot to Marten Creek. There were multiple downed trees and power lines along the Mountain Loop Hwy between Granite Falls and Verlot. I drove a few miles past Marten Creek to see when the snow began on the highway, and the Deer Creek gate was still open, with slush beginning on the road shortly after the gate. Some large trees were also down on the highway, but it looked like vehicles could still squeeze by.
Marten Creek had a dusting of snow in the first mile increasing to 3-4 inches by the time the trail levels out and turns north along the creek. The old signs indicating the forestry research on different tree species from circa 1915 are still intact, and there was a newly-downed old-growth tree across the trail in the first 1/4 mile that revealed an old can of Schmidt beer where the roots had been. This trail gives a good climbing workout in the first mile and a half or so over 7 or 8 wide switchbacks (on old road) and then levels out on a high bank above the creek before meeting up with it toward the end of the maintained portion. Microspikes would have been helpful for the descent on the slushy switchbacks, which are steep in a few sections. Nobody on the trail today.
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