WHERE:     From Portland follow I-5 north past Everett to highway 530.  Follow US 530 east about 8 miles past Darrington to the Suiattle River Road.  This road is mostly paved or packed gravel but in August 2008 was closed at 12.6 miles.  This means an eleven mile hike to the trailhead.

THE TRAIL:  Mostly lying in the Glacier Peak Wilderness the lower west sections are pure rainforest while the higher elevations are alpine and glaciated.  Incidentally Glacier Peak is the 3rd most glaciated single mountain in the conterminous United States.  The first 11 miles followed a gravel road with only a couple more washouts.  It runs through rainforest making it more tolerable.  The first three miles of the trail were cleared but there was a lot of blowdown after that:  In the log book at the trailhead there were complaints about the blowdown but not everyone seems to realize it is a lot quicker to hike through a trail than to clear it of fallen trees.  I camped at Canyon Creek (2320 feet) where a very nice bridge crossed the creek.  This was about 7 miles up the trail and probably the most beautiful part on the segment that leads to the miner's ridge trail. 

On day two I took a day hike with camera to the fire lookout and Image Lake.  After Canyon creek the massive Hemlock, Cedar and Bigleaf Maple become rarer as this portion of the trail is covered with younger Douglass Fir.  The Miner's Ridge trail begins at about 2800 feet and goes for 3.5 miles to 4800 feet where it splits off to either Suiattle Pass or Miner's Ridge.  The miner's ridge segment continues for 2 miles to a very nice fire lookout at 6200 feet with beautiful views to all directions.  The lookout is actively used so you cannot go inside but you are welcome to go up to the platform and walk the planks surrounding the summer home of some fortunate ranger.  Inside the lookout was a good supply of books, propane, heater, solar powered radio, socks hanging from the ceiling, a comfortable bed and various knick knacks.  There is a beautiful view of dusty creek and the Suiattle river running down from glaciers on the east end of Glacier Peak converging far below the lookout.

From the observation tower I left for Image Lake where I met the Ranger who inhabited the Lookout tower.  He said there were a lot of Black Bear in the area and warned me to be careful as he saw one two days ago in the meadow we were standing in.  He said that mountain goats did not inhabit those slopes but could be seen with binoculars on Vista Ridge lying on the south side of Glacier Peak.  Soon I reached Image lake which could have been named Teton Lake (think French origin).  This was a beautiful like at the bottom of a basin surrounded by mountains covered in Alpine meadows.