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Olallie Lake, Talapus Lake
Oct 01, 2008
by
sharonmattnadia
—
last modified
Oct 03, 2008 03:04 PM
- Type of Outing
- Overnight
- Olallie Lake
- Region: Snoqualmie Pass -- Snoqualmie Pass
- Trails: Olallie Lake (#1007)
- Avg Rating: 3.00
- Talapus Lake
- Region: Snoqualmie Pass -- Snoqualmie Pass
- Trails: Talapus Lake (#1039)
- Avg Rating: 3.33
- Why You Should Go Now
-
- Fall foliage
I had not previously had a very high opinion of Talapus Lake because it's usually such a mob scene. However, on an October Wednesday, it's quite charming. We did encounter a few other hikers but, as we ate our lunch and looked out over the lake, we could almost believe it was untouched by humans - except for the overly friendly chipmunk and the fishing bobbers snarled in the branches above us.
The trail is in excellent shape, and shady most of the way. No bugs at all during the day. I heard a few mosquitoes at night, but they weren't biting. It is hunting season, but we encountered no evidence of hunters.
The large information sign at the trailhead had lost its legs and was propped against a rock. When we returned to the trailhead, a crew was remounting the sign. Part of the road had also been freshly graveled.
About halfway to Talapus Lake there is a nice little lunch nook off the left side of the trail. A log bench overlooks Talapus Creek just before you reach the lake. Much of the Talapus lakeshore is blocked off for restoration.
We intended to camp at Olallie Lake, but missed the turnoff and headed up toward Pratt Lake instead. When we returned, we saw the Olallie Lake sign, but it was posted on the north side a large tree, so it's not surprising that we didn't see it coming up from the south. For future reference, the Olallie Lake turnoff is on the near side of the next real river crossing after the Talapus Lake outlet.
A September 20 Forest Service report posted at the trailhead mentioned hearing migratory birds. We didn't hear many birds, which may have just been the weather, or maybe they've moved on.
Very few plants were in bloom, except for some foamflower and a tall larkspur off to the side of one of the boardwalks. The low maples around Talapus Lake are starting to turn, and are quite lovely. We also saw (among other things) vanilla leaf, queens cup, twinflower, rattlesnake plantain, thimbleberry, salmonberry, one-sided wintergreen, five-leaf bramble, skunk cabbage, trillium, pipsissewa, and an interesting assortment of mushrooms.
The site where we ended up camping abounded in resin - on the ground and the trees. We've learned to remove it from our persons by first scrubbing with dirt and then with lots of Purell. We haven't yet mastered getting it off fabric.
The trail is in excellent shape, and shady most of the way. No bugs at all during the day. I heard a few mosquitoes at night, but they weren't biting. It is hunting season, but we encountered no evidence of hunters.
The large information sign at the trailhead had lost its legs and was propped against a rock. When we returned to the trailhead, a crew was remounting the sign. Part of the road had also been freshly graveled.
About halfway to Talapus Lake there is a nice little lunch nook off the left side of the trail. A log bench overlooks Talapus Creek just before you reach the lake. Much of the Talapus lakeshore is blocked off for restoration.
We intended to camp at Olallie Lake, but missed the turnoff and headed up toward Pratt Lake instead. When we returned, we saw the Olallie Lake sign, but it was posted on the north side a large tree, so it's not surprising that we didn't see it coming up from the south. For future reference, the Olallie Lake turnoff is on the near side of the next real river crossing after the Talapus Lake outlet.
A September 20 Forest Service report posted at the trailhead mentioned hearing migratory birds. We didn't hear many birds, which may have just been the weather, or maybe they've moved on.
Very few plants were in bloom, except for some foamflower and a tall larkspur off to the side of one of the boardwalks. The low maples around Talapus Lake are starting to turn, and are quite lovely. We also saw (among other things) vanilla leaf, queens cup, twinflower, rattlesnake plantain, thimbleberry, salmonberry, one-sided wintergreen, five-leaf bramble, skunk cabbage, trillium, pipsissewa, and an interesting assortment of mushrooms.
The site where we ended up camping abounded in resin - on the ground and the trees. We've learned to remove it from our persons by first scrubbing with dirt and then with lots of Purell. We haven't yet mastered getting it off fabric.
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