White Chuck Bridge Repaired

An important forest road bridge that provides access to the Glacier Peak region was fixed last week.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: This post was rewritten substantially because I incorrectly reported that the bridge is part of FR 23, the White Chuck River Road. Instead, the bridge crosses the Sauk River and leads to the White Chuck Bench Trail.]

At a damp ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new White Chuck Bridge, a small crowd and officials from the Forest Service, the city of Darrington, and Rep. Rick Larsen's office celebrated the completion of the new bridge. The completed bridge, which washed out in 2003, provides access to the White Chuck Bench Trail.

WTA member Kim Brown wrote about the spectacular trails in this corner of the Cascades (and her difficulties getting there) in the June 2008 issue of Washington Trails.

The bridge is one of many repairs planned in the White Chuck River area, including repairs to the White Chuck River Road (FR 23) to its intersection with FR 27. The Forest Service plans to convert the remaining 5 miles of FR 23 to trail. You can read more about the White Chuck project here.

According a Forest Service press release, district ranger Peter Forbes was surprised by the turnout at the event in spite of the miserable weather. “It shows how much people appreciate the national forest," he said. "They want to come out and enjoy all of this beauty, and now it is accessible for all.”