Twin Falls Natural Area and more

March 5, 2012

It was a surprise to have this popular trailhead all to ourselves on this snowy morning. The Twin Falls trail to the bridge/overlook of Twin Falls is a popuar trail for several reasons - it's close to Seattle, Issaquah and North Bend and it's scenic. It's also an easy enough hike that it's suitable for hikers of all ages and abilities. In otherwords, it's a good four-season trail suitable for anyone. Since it is suitable for anyone, that often translates to "everyone" so if you are seeking solitude this is not the trail for you on a sunny weekend. Whenever you go don't forget your Discover Pass - it is required.

Unless ... it's a wintry day mid-week with an early start. We've hiked to Twin Falls in all kinds of weather but this was our first time in snow. It felt a little odd to be breaking trail on this family-friendly hike though the snow will soon melt. It's only about 2-1/2 miles round trip to the bridge-overlook above Twin Falls (that's where many people stop). There is also a lower overlook of Twin Falls before you get to the bridge but as of this writing it is closed due to damage from recent snow and ice storms. Please heed the warning.

The trail starts out following the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River with viewpoints of the river along the way. After the trail follows the river a while it climbs to a small ridge where there are benches for a rest-break or peek-a-boo views of the river (we were able to get a peek at one of the waterfalls from the bench). The trail drops down again, is level for a bit then climbs again on a circuitous route to avoid a slope prone to mud-slides. Along the way note a large, hollowed out stump (left), a perfect setting for a photo of a hiker avoiding inclement weather.

A bit more down on an elaborate set of stairs leads to the robust bridge, the thundering falls and dizzying views to the river and waterfalls below. As of this writing there was about three inches of snow on the bridge but it wasn't slippery. Hikers can continue further to another overlook of the waterfalls and/or to the Iron Horse trail (getting to the Iron Horse trail involves some uphill.

What this writer cannot adequately describe was the beauty of the fresh snow highlighting every twig, fern and tree along the trail. On a cloudy day such as this one it was like hiking through a pen and ink drawing or an etching, every detail sharp and crisp.

The temperatures were such that the snow was not designed to last and began to melt as we hiked out. We also began to meet a few other hikers coming in to enjoy the gifts of this four-season trail.

It is about 2-1/2 miles round-trip to the bridge overlooking Twin Falls.

To get there from Seattle: drive east on I-90 and get off at Exit 34, follow signs to the park/trailhead.

Rattlesnake Lake and more:

Since it was still cold we skipped the hike to Rattlesnake Ledge on our way back but did stop at the lake for photography. It was cold and wintry; we could see Rattlesnake Ledge was snowy and didn't look at all user-friendly. The water was high in the lake but it made for good photography.

To get to Rattlesnake Lake and Rattlesnake Ledge: Take Exit 32 from I-90, continue to trailhead/parking. A Discover Pass is required.

We also stopped at Mill Pond Road (between Snoqualmie Falls and North Bend) for photos of Mount Si reflected in an old mill pond on our way home. Conditions were great for photography; the sun had come out, the skies were blue and what clouds there were were fat, puffy and white.

Our last stop was Snoqualmie Falls; we spent more time photographing flowers in the gardens at Snoqualmie Falls than the waterfall itself; the mist from Snoqualmie Falls was extreme and the upper overlooks were closed due to icy conditions.

Karen Sykes

Mount Washington, December 18, 2010

Mount Washington, December 18, 2010

You never really know what the trail to Mount Washington will be like until you’re on the trail. This time of year the snow-line is fickle and the weather capricious. All we knew for sure is that we’d be hiking in snow at some point before we turned around - we didn’t feel like toting snowshoes (a necessity if the summit is your destination).

There was about an inch of snow at the trailhead (Exit No. 38) and it was a chilly, albeit sunny day. Most hikers know how to find the trail by now (it’s not signed but hard to miss) a little west of where the spur trail from the parking lot connects to the Iron Horse Trail. If you get to the spur down to Twin Falls you’ve gone a little too far!

Surprisingly there were only a couple other vehicles at the trailhead – hard to believe on such a beautiful day. We were equipped with Stabilicers, Yak Trax and ice axes but nothing would have helped much on the first stretch of the trail once it left the Iron Horse Trail. A very thin layer of snow concealed loose rocks/pebbles on the trail and it was slow going – the trail providing a great opportunity to sprain an ankle. Not enough snow for traction devices but just enough to make it entertaining.

I’d hoped there’d be a good crop of icicles to photograph and though they were beginning to melt we found several “batches” to play with (photography, not climbing!). It didn’t occur to me until later but it might have been interesting to shoot a short video of the ice as it melted. We passed the overhang (cave) where hardware dangles from the ceiling tempting climbers to practice their skills (no one was practicing).

About 2/3 of the way to the Owl Spot we hit enough snow that hiking became a joyful experience rather than a balancing act. The snow was beautiful but in dappled light, hard to get decent photos. Instead, we just enjoyed walking through the Christmas-y scene.

There was about 4 inches or so of snow at the Owl Spot (the view from the Owl Spot shrinks a little more each year as the trees grow) – we usually stop for a bite to eat but we weren’t hungry so continued hiking, making the stream our next potential turnaround. Strangely enough the snow deepened significantly as we made our way to the “designated” junction with the Mount Washington/Great Wall trail though we weren’t gaining much elevation. Just beyond the junction is the stream; not a problem to cross whatsoever but we turned around – the snow was more than deep enough to warrant snowshoes (the snowshoes were in Seattle). We bare-booted the Great Wall trail a short way just out of curiosity then retraced our route back to the car. En route we checked out a few of the “unofficial” trails.

We met a few hikers coming up on our way out, including a friendly gal who asked us where the trail went – she’d forgotten her map and was pretty sure she was on the Mount Washington trail. She’d started from Twin Falls so had already hiked quite a way. We told her she’d need snowshoes if she went beyond the Owl Spot – like us, she’d left her snowshoes behind.

There was still an inch or so of snow on the loose pebbles/rocks so though it looked odd we used our ice axes to keep our balance until we were on the Iron Horse trail.

As for photographs – I am not an expert photographer nor do I have high-end photo-gear but I get annoyed at what I call the “blue factor”. Snow and icicles that look white to us appear blue in photographs unless we’re out in bright sunshine. It is undoubtedly the color of evergreens reflected back onto the surface of the snow but it’s disappointing to get home, download the photos and find that most of the snow/ice shots are “blue”. Gives me the blues, in fact!

I do utilize my digital camera program and can either turn the blue shots into black and whites or play with the color a bit, adding a bit of red and yellow to brighten the snow.

A great day – is there any other kind of day in the mountains?

Stats: About 6 miles round trip with 2,400 feet of gain including side-trips.