Otter and Big Creek Falls - Taylor River
Mar 14, 2010
by
ErikaK99
—
last modified
Mar 15, 2010 09:25 AM
- Type of Outing
- Day hike
- Read More in our Hiking Guide
- Hike: Otter and Big Creek Falls - Taylor River
- Region: Snoqualmie Pass -- North Bend Area
- Agency: Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest, Snoqualmie Ranger District
- Trails: Taylor River (#1002)
- Avg Rating: 4.06
- Be Aware Of
- Blowdowns
- Mudholes
- Washouts
- Water on trail
- Snow on trail
Sunbeams and snow
The hiking reports of this trail are ominous: 10 miles of pot-holed, dirt road, poorly labeled trail spurs, and general negativity and confusion. But those things make it a very quiet trail. Good trade.
Armed with that information, some of it served to be true - particularly the tiny faded thin white sign marking Otter Falls turn off. Had I known it was really that bad, I would have made and carried a new sign up there.
There was about an inch of snow at the trail head and it grew steadily along the path to about 4 inches at Big Creek Falls. A few blow downs that were cumbersome but not impossible and creek-melt along the path in many places. Snow was the major factor affecting both temperature and traction.
The hike was very pretty along the Taylor river (also called the Snoqualmie Lake trail, just to add confusion) and we encountered sun beams and pretty views of unfamiliar mountains. In places it was completely silent except for our feet and the trill of spring birdsong.
We missed the Otter Falls turn off, even though we all had eyes peeled. Caught it on the way back from the Big Creek Falls, which today was more spectacular than Otter, unless sheer height of granite face impresses you.
Hit the trail at 9:30 AM, returned by 2:45 to revisit the potholes on the dirt road. Really, it's not something I'd take a new car on, but it's not that bad presently. Just go slow. We passed about 8 sets of hikers in the 5 hours we were there. A far cry from Mt Si just up the road.
Armed with that information, some of it served to be true - particularly the tiny faded thin white sign marking Otter Falls turn off. Had I known it was really that bad, I would have made and carried a new sign up there.
There was about an inch of snow at the trail head and it grew steadily along the path to about 4 inches at Big Creek Falls. A few blow downs that were cumbersome but not impossible and creek-melt along the path in many places. Snow was the major factor affecting both temperature and traction.
The hike was very pretty along the Taylor river (also called the Snoqualmie Lake trail, just to add confusion) and we encountered sun beams and pretty views of unfamiliar mountains. In places it was completely silent except for our feet and the trill of spring birdsong.
We missed the Otter Falls turn off, even though we all had eyes peeled. Caught it on the way back from the Big Creek Falls, which today was more spectacular than Otter, unless sheer height of granite face impresses you.
Hit the trail at 9:30 AM, returned by 2:45 to revisit the potholes on the dirt road. Really, it's not something I'd take a new car on, but it's not that bad presently. Just go slow. We passed about 8 sets of hikers in the 5 hours we were there. A far cry from Mt Si just up the road.
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Big Creek Falls
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Otter Falls
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