North Fork Sauk River Road

[Dan_Miller]

 

 

Published: Saturday, May 19, 2007

 

Glacier Peak access road closed

The North Fork Sauk Road was the last way for Western Washington drivers to reach the wilderness.

 

By Lukas Velush

Herald Writer

 

 

 

 

 

 

The last road to the Glacier Peak Wilderness from Western Washington is now closed, making one of the most remote and rugged areas in the state a bit more wild.

 

Three roads used to get to the 10,541-foot-tall volcano in eastern Snohomish County were already closed when the U.S. Forest Service closed the North Fork Sauk Road last week.

 

Like all of the other routes, flood damage forced managers of the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest to close the road. The road is closed at Lost Creek, which is four miles in from the turnoff from the Mountain Loop Road.

 

"Glacier Peak probably has the most difficult access anywhere on the forest," said Gary Paull, the forest's trails and wilderness manager. "It's very wild country, much wilder this year than it has been in the last 50 years."

 

The bridge over Lost Creek had been open until officials realized that soil that supports the road as it approaches the creek was cascading into the water every time a car drove over the bridge.

 

The bridge appears safe, but it's possible that the soil could cave in, causing massive amounts of sediment to fall into the creek, possibly dragging a vehicle into the creek with it.

 

The Suiattle River, White Chuck and North Fork Skykomish roads are all Glacier Peak access routes that are closed. An east Cascades entrance is open.

 

Even though it requires tacking on a four-mile road hike on both ends of the trip, the Sauk River Road is still the best way to get to Glacier Peak, Paull said.

 

Kim Brown of Seattle believes that the latest closure will make getting to Glacier Peak too difficult for most people.

 

"That was the only way in," Brown said. Glacier Peak is her favorite place to hike. "It's just a pain in the butt. We shouldn't have to be dealing with this."

 

Reporter Lukas Velush: 425-339-3449 or lvelush@heraldnet.com.

 

 

 

 

[high_on_rock]

Glacier Peak has always taken a commitment to the approach, but with this increase of an additional 4 miles of road in each direction, the commitment may become too much for most. Do I also assume correctly that Kennedy Hot Springs remains "gone" since the mudslide of years past?

 

While this will cut down on the "crowds" at the mountain, I am not sure that it is a bad thing. Perhaps we have been bringing the mountains down to our level by creating road access so close, and perhaps it is a positive to have one great volcano in the center of the state that is hard to reach. Actually makes me more interested in returning in the near future.

 

[Fairweather]

Will they be making repairs anytime soon? Please tell me this isn't yet another permanent closure! Also, what's the latest on White Chuck repairs? What's it been....5 years now?

[Blake]

 

 

The Suiattle River, White Chuck and North Fork Skykomish roads are all Glacier Peak access routes that are closed. An east Cascades entrance is open.

 

 

 

 

Where would THAT be?

[Fairweather]

White River/Lake Wenatchee, I believe. The Pargeter's Central Cascades Map oblique gives a good overview of the area. Actually looks like a good approach over White Pass/Indian Peak area?