rarely on a sunday would you expect to find this trail without people. we passed 3 hikers on our way in heading back for the parking lot but that was it. this trail as it meanders next to the middle fork is relatively mild hiking. a rainy day made for lots of mud puddles. bring those gaiters and goretex socks. along the first 3 miles we sloshed through numerous thick mud puddles and there were traces of snow in sections along the trail. beautiful moss covered maples, mixed with alder made this trail so lush and extremely photogenic. views to the snow dusted garfield mountain can be seen through the trees and across the middle fork snoqualmie. we turned round at about 4 miles since our hike started late.

Beginning 15 September thru 22 September, the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Road #5620 will be closed at and beyond MP16 for construction work. This is below the Dingford Creek Trailhead. The Dingford Creek Trail #1005, Goldmeyer Hot Springs, and Dutch Miller Trail #1030 trailheads will be inaccessible by motor vehicle. The only access to the Middle Fork Trail #1003 (and the Rock Creek Trail #1013) will be from the westernmost trailhead of the #1003. Per North Bend (now Snoqualmie) Ranger District.

APRIL 12, 2000 – MIDDLE FORK SNOQUALMIE RIVER TRAIL #1003 Green Trails Skykomish, Index. Another fine spring day dawned as I headed back up into Middle Fork country, this time to explore up the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River trail. After years of going so many other places, I am starting to enjoy the fact that I can be up the Middle Fork Road in the vicinity of the Taylor River area in less than 45 minutes from my home! I arrived in one piece after hitting one of the potholes up there pretty hard, a trip on its own! It was weird to find the huge parking lot empty, waiting for me. After spending the first 15 minutes of my trip right at the incredible Middle Fork bridge at every angle doing photography, the trip up the trail was incredibly quiet and peaceful. The first mile of trail had thousands of Western Trilliums everywhere. I was using much of this trip focusing on native plant photography under the bright overcast conditions, perfect for forest photography! I found vast hidden areas on old trees covered with Wild Ginger. Yellow Violets were everywhere. Six species of native ferns line the trail. All told, the first mile of trail took me over an hour to cover as I wandered along at snail pace with my tripod off my pack, just doing photography. Once I reached an area where the trail is fast and straight through mostly deciduous forest, I packed up and cruised up the trail. There is a nice healthy population of Devils Club coming to life through here. Some great muddy areas are provided for a good boot to tackle through. One in particular that was impressive was where a huge old tree uprooted and it’s root system picked up the trail with it. You essentially get to walk under the root system to go around it; a fun time. These areas of the forest floor are covered virtually solid with emerging False Lilly-of-the Valley coming up like a carpet! False Solomon Seal was also very actively coming to life where the trail goes along the river 3-4 miles in. I had a quick lunch break, and continued on to where the Dingford Creek area is. I decided to call it good as I wanted to use the good light to do more photography on a slow hike back out along the river – the river, and Garfield Mountain are splendid. Ding-Dong move of the day: About four miles in was a good size mud hole 8-10’ long. Ah, no problem – just one step in the mud, on to that rock, and one step to dry land. Well, little did I know there was a stick-shark hiding in the depths of the mud-pit ready to grab me. As I lunged my left foot to get to the rock, and as my right foot emerged from the mud, the stick-shark raised it fearsome head and made me trip over it hiding in the mud, sending me flying down toward earth like a falling giant. It was an impressive mud hole, as my hands and knees sank in a good 8-10” (more than half way up to my elbows)! My stomach remained clean since instead my two camera harness bags on my chest went in instead! Argh! Oh well, being mud monster on the way out was fun, and I bet it kept the bugs off me. Oh yeah, another thing blooming out there too: skeeters are back. Guess the coming of 2000 didn’t fool them either. A return to the rig was final by 3:30pm after seeing thousands of photogenic plants, only four people as I hiked out, about eight or nine miles of hiking to keep my legs ready for summer, and another excellent spring hike finally checked off my list of areas I have wanted to check into. If trilliums are you game, you have got to go hike this trails first mile or two this weekend. If False Lily-of-the-Valley is your ticket, go out there in about two weeks for a carpet of the stuff for miles. If a peaceful hike is your game, go anytime. Worth a visit any time of year! P.S. Green Trails should update their maps for the Middle Fork region as they don't even show the new trail - the trail suddenly appears on the western edge of the Skykomish map, with nothing shown in the Index map. Alan L. Bauer 4/12/00

The trail is totally snow free with only occasional small wet spots to well past Dingford creek, there are a few snow patches near Goldmeyer Hot Springs and increasing patches past the hot springs until a mile or so past the springs where the snow becomes continuous and very soggy. The creek crossing to the spring and the river crossing to the road were both low and easy, at least when I was there. There is a small log wedged under a big log which allowed a dry crossing of the creek to Goldmeyer about 100 feet downstream from where the trail hits the creek. There are 2 big I-beams sitting next to the road at Dingford Creek, so maybe we'll have the gate up soon.

Headed back up the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rd to take advantage of the recent road grading and discovered that the grading ended about a mile past our starting point last week (Bessemer Rd). There are plenty of potholes left the last few miles to the lower Mid Fork TH, but you just need to take it easy. We hiked from the Taylor River up to the Dingford Ck TH and back for a nice winter hike of about 11 miles and 1000' of gain. Nice rain forest feel with a variety of terrain as the trail alternates between along the river and up above in the forest. One tricky spot where the trail enters a dry creek bed and seems to disappear; a large tree has come down and it's branches are hiding the trail out the other side. It's about 10 yards to your left/downstream; walk down the creekbed and under the large tree and then take a sharp left up the bank and you'll find the trail. Lots of flags indicating future trail work and there are plenty of mudholes and large trees down that need work. Hopefully that work will include making the Dingford Ck Bridge less slippery by adding chicken wire or cross slats. The boards are laid lengthwise and once wet, they are just like ice, as I found out the hard way.