Arrived at the Homstead Parking Lot around noon with lots of parking. There were 22 Port-a-potties lined up along the lot. I think they may have been better than the facility which was stocked and ripe. Headed up with skies of blue above though the smoke was thicker to the west and looking like it was coming. It's been at least 4 years since we've been up this way and it wasn't as boring as I remember. We had usually taken the Great Wall spur, but this time stayed on Mt Washington. Trail is dry and in great shape, with a few section of overgrowth including nettle. At the junction, we took Olallie to the viewpoint with the huge log bench which has views of Mt SI, Teneriffe, and Mailbox. Ollalie seemed to have more flowers and colors than MW up to that point. Headed back, staying on Olallie to the Change Creek junction and turned back and had a bite to eat on the small talus. Reapplied bug spray as they were circling too close for comfort. Headed back down the Great Wall Trail and back to Mt Washington. I was uncertain we'd get any running in on the way down, but it was not that bad - better than Teneriffe imo.

Missing Person Report! 

Hello all, my uncle Steven Vadjinia has been missing since Aug 15th, 2023. He left his home the morning of the 15th on an orange bike. We are unsure of where he went but this hike is a routine location for Steven. If you see him, an orange bike, or any of the belongings mentioned in the attached photo please call King County Sheriffs Missing Person’s Unit Case Number: C230227441, Phone Number: 206-263-2080 or call 911. 

Thank you. 

Our group of eleven senior hikers in their 60's, 70's and 80's met at the Iron Horse State Park trailhead near Rattlesnake Lake outside of North Bend for a five-trail loop hike around Cedar Butte. After gearing up we headed up the Palouse to Cascades Trail on the former Milwaukee Road railroad grade, now just a gravel road going to Snoqualmie Pass. The last train came through back in 1980. We hiked the trail 2 miles up to the junction with the newer Olallie Trail opened in 2017. Only took us 40 minutes. There is a kiosk at the junction with a map of the trails in the area. The Olallie Trail cost $1.168 million to build by State Parks with help from the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance. This wide trail switchbacks up the hillside with a moderate grade that goes to Change Creek past Mt.WA. When we arrived at the unsigned junction with the old West Ridge Trail, we met a young woman who was out putting in game cameras. Most people would hike on by and never notice this trail junction. We then headed down the West Ridge Trail where we had to get over a fallen tree. A little further along we crossed an old logging railroad grade used by the North Bend Timber Company when they logged this area back in 1905 to 1923. Their sawmill was down by Rattlesnake Lake. Still going downhill, we got to the Southside Trail where the trail makes a sharp turn to the left. We had to step over some fallen trees before getting to the ponds along the trail. They are now dried up with Bracken Ferns growing in them. Past the ponds the trail makes another sharp turn to the left and goes up hill very steeply for about 50 yards. Then the trail has some ups and downs before coming out at Saddle Junction on the Cedar Butte Trail.

When we arrived at the junction it was about lunch time. Pete and I decided to stay at the junction for lunch while the rest of the group went up to the summit of Cedar Butte. We had been up there many times before, so found a couple of fallen trees for a lunch time bench at the junction. You have to sit on the ground at the summit as there are no seats. While eating we had to battle the skeeters trying to have us for their lunch. Three young women showed up going to the summit and one needed some bug spray. After lunch we decided to head down the Cedar Butte Trail to get away from the bugs and not wait for the rest of the group. Two sections of the trail are on old NBTC logging railroad grades. Once we got back down to the Palouse to Cascades Trail the bugs were gone, and a nice breeze came up for the 1-mile hike back to the parking lot. The rest of the group showed up a short time later.

This makes for a nice loop hike around Cedar Butte with no crowds. Did not see any wildlife on our trip, just the four other hikers and one mountain biker on the Olallie Trail. There are some wildflowers along the way. The Cedar Butte Trail below Saddle Jct. could use some brushing. The West Ridge and Southside Trail could use some brushing too, as well as a few trees cut out. George

The upper part of Change Creek (from Hall Point to the start (or end) of the Olallie Trail is quite overgrown.  Let's be honest.  You wouldn't be reading this if you weren't at least a little bit curious.  So pack a saw or clippers like I did, and come up and give this trail some love.  

I did a clockwise loop starting at the Homestead Valley TH.  Hiked east a little way on the Palouse to Cascade Trail.  From here the unmarked start of the Change Creek Trail takes off through the brush at the west end of a small concrete RR trestle.  At the second switchback, the sign pictured above will be your first assurance that you are on the right trail.  The next mile is steep and rough, with frequent good views over the Snoqualmie Valley, and views down to Hall Creek Falls.

After this long mile or more, the short spur trail to Hall Point is reached (good view) and also, thank goodness, the beginning of the old road system upon which the rest of this hike lies.  From here on, all trail gradients are far more gentle.  Also, the brush starts here, almost entirely alder, so not too unpleasant.

After a while, the trail crosses Change Creek (culverted).  A bit beyond, you might see a cutoff trail taking off to the left.  Avoid this silly trail, and let it return to nature.  Instead continue ahead on the old road bed.  The road/trail makes three switchbacks, then in about a mile come to Change Creek again, the creek by now quite small.  Here there is another silly cutoff trail to your right, marked "Pond".  Avoid it, and instead continue straight, crossing the creek and continuing on the old roadbed.  This part of the trail is quite overgrown, but the old roadbed is always obvious underneath it all.

In about twenty minutes (plus time spent sawing or clipping - you know you will!), you come out on a superhighway of a trail.  This is the current end of the Ollalie Trail, apparently little used at this point.  On good trail now, this climbs high on the north shoulder of Change Peak, the drops down to intersect the Great Wall and Mt. Washington Trails, then out, for a long loop.

I didn't go to either summit of Change Peak or Mt. Washington today.  The hike is strenuous enough, especially after spending a couple hours sawing alders.  Come up and lend a hand!  The reward is solitude (in the Snoqualmie, no less!) and plenty of good views.

Starting from the Cedar Falls parking area across the road from the Rattlesnake Lake/Ledges lot, we hiked 1.8 miles to the Olallie Trail TH. (There's a kiosk along the Palouse-to-Cascades trail there, showing the mileage and viewpoints and marking the TH). From there, we hiked 5.5 miles to the 5th viewpoint. The 5th viewpoint comprises a rough-hewn log bench with views out to Si, Teneriffe, and other peaks I cannot name. It is a very private, pleasant destination, and it's about 1.3 miles from a route up to Mt. Washington. Given that we'd already come nearly 7.5 miles, gaining in my estimate 2400 feet, we decided to call it good at that point. I see from reading today's reports, that we were within striking distance of kidzwonthike and his friends, who came from the opposite direction :-) !

Edelman and I like the Ollalie Trail  for a few reasons: it's quiet, at least on weekdays (we were the only hiking party, and there were about 15 very polite bikers--thank you!); it's a great conditioning hike at 14.6 miles RT and 2400 feet elevation gain; and there are some lovely, if subtle features, such as the alder grove up on the ridge above the first viewpoint, some nice wildflowers, and a stand of hemlocks right in front of viewpoint 5. The views are pleasant (though they include I-90), with "minor" snow-covered peaks in view, and you can hike as far as you like--summiting Mt.Washington if you're an animal! Edelman and I are small animals, so no. We hope to work up to it by age 70.

Flora and fauna: wildflowers included plenty of prairie (or yellow) violets and bleeding hearts, some trillium, bugbane, buttercups, candy flowers, herb Robert and a few others I could not name. Fauna included a couple brown frogs and a chipmunk.

Oh, and negligible snow approaching the 5th lookout. No problem at all! Like, 50 feet of easily-walkable white stuff. We used poles on the way down, as stewards of our kneecaps.

Happy and safe hiking, Everyone.