We set up camp at the Lower Lewis River CG and then did these two very short hikes to 2 beautiful waterfalls. Curly Creek Falls is located 5 miles east of the Eagle Cliff Bridge on No 90 Road.The falls is viewed through a natural rock arch and is reached via a short, level trail. Big Creek Falls is about 4 miles east of Curly Creek Falls. The trail has been heavily damaged by huge fallen trees. The area looked like a tornado had come through. The trail has been cleared to the damaged viewpoint which is not as open as when we were last there. The falls was full and thunderous, but it was not possible to get an unobstructive view. We did see two people at the base of the falls, but did not see how they could have gotten there.

Shine the sun and they will come, even to this road turned into a river bed that's full of ankle twisting rocks, has no views, and has full canopy coverage so, no sun. Past experience has been that the above things keep the hordes down allowing for a quiet stroll. Not today: 89+ people and 13+ dogs seen on the way in; nothing but Robins and a few campers seen on the way out. Wow, what a contrast. The goal was to reach the Snoqualmie Lake trail head. Had a brief lunch at the Big Creek concrete bridge (the falls there are really roaring with Spring flow and worth checking out) before we reached the trail head. Ended up walking past that trail head, and continued about 1/4 mi on the Nordrum Lake trail? to the point where it requires crossing the Taylor River. Turned around there, because it was still raging along pretty high and fast with no obvious place to scramble across. I still can't believe we saw 89 people! I kept wondering whether all of the Si hikers had lost their way. The one nice thing: this was my 3rd visit in 3 years and the first where I didn't see any cars with smashed in windows from thieves. Oh, and I will say that all 89 people, aside from some footsore Scouts, seemed to be having a grand old time.

Completely free of snow until just below the lake. Yaktrax were handy, but not necessary. The state of the trail remains as the previous poster indicates - Some ominous blowdown at the beginning and very little afterwards. Much of the ""trail"" is a seasonal stream bed. The trail improvements will be welcome indeed as it appears some finesse and know how will be employed this time. The lake was an amazing sight, 95% covered in ice as it was. I had it all to myself and I ate my lunch at a leisurely pace while basking in the warm sun. I'm sure glad I took the day off work! On the trip back I saw a trail runner and her dog along the old logging road that makes up the majority of this hike. These were the only other visitors I saw during my 6.5 hours on the trail.

The road up the middle fork of the Snoqualmie to the Taylor River trailhead is a bumpy ride over potholes, but they have laid gravel in some places. The Taylor River trail is a very easy grade road turned into a hiking path. For 9 miles it gains very little elevation and for the most part is broad enough for walking side by side. However, last winter's rains severely eroded a long stretch just after the Quartz Creek junction (about half mile in), turning the road into a clutter of ankle twisting cobbles. Just after that is a series of mudholes most of which will dry up in the summer heat. At Marten Creek there is a stout bridge and beautiful water falls. About 100 feet before the bridge is a cairn which supposedly marks a rough trail up to Marten Lake. However, Barbella and I bushwhacked and scrambled all over that hillside trying to find it without success. Even the sketchy traces petered out in underbrush and log jams. At about 4 miles in we crossed a small rivulet and came upon a peach of a campsite next to the trail - flat, grassy, southern exposure, and nice fire pit. Just beyond that are two obvious cairns on the left side of the trail. We scampered up through the trees and found Lipsy Lake with its stunning Otter Falls. Not only is there a perfect campsite, but even a small beach. This is the prettiest alpine lake I think I've ever seen. We ate our lunch and then walked back, clearing trail and sawing blowdowns all the way. We got everything 6"" and under, but there are still lots of 8"" and 10"" blowdowns for those with a hankering for saw work. I was proud of Barbella. This was her first big hike and she pitched in for trail work with a will. Gotta recruit that girl for a WTA trail crew!

""MOMMEE...I wanna play!!!"" ""Do your chores FIRST!!!"" Oh well, to get that gain thing out of the way, it was up Mailbox Peak first. I started at 5:30am from the trailhead in a gentle cleansing rain. After mucking my way through the mud I was up top in 2 hours. It was overcast, thought the sun seemed to be trying mighty hard to banish the clouds. Views on offer were fleeting glimpses of Mount Washington, and not much else. Slightly less than 4 hours after starting, it was time to play and the drive up to my main destination of the day: Big Creek Falls. The day had turned sunny (the hordes of people I had seen going up Mailbox Peak must have had a good time), so things were looking up. The hike itself was a gentle stroll up the old abandoned road-converted-to-trail. Views of craggy Garfield Mountain were impressive: all white slopes aglow. Navigating the various streams crossing the trail as well as some blow-downs, it was past Marten Creek and up to Otter Creek. Immediately after crossing the creek, I made my up the mountainside beside the creek in search of Otter Falls. After spending some futile moments tussling with some brush (Otter Falls was partially hidden behind a veil of said brush), it was back down to the main trail. However, I did mark the correct path up to the falls (20-30yrds past the creek) and decided to hit them on the way back. The it was a short ½ mile to Big Creek Falls, which was all sound and fury. I had lunch at the concrete bridge across the creek listening to the roar, and then headed back. After keeping my promised date with Otter Falls, it was finally back to the car. Stats: • Mailbox Peak: 6mi, 4000ft gain, 3hrs50min • Big Creek Falls: 10mi, 700ft (cumulative) gain, 3hrs20min