Cold, gorgeous day for an easy, fun outing with the 4yo. The recent work to clear the trails is impressive. There was a lovely frost on everything but the trails had good traction and were in good shape. Saw leashed dogs, families, older hikers and a trail runner putting in laps. Maybe 3-4 cars in each lot, and the bathrooms were open and clean, well stocked with TP. Not much trash on trail and we collected a few pieces.

Second the last trip report talking about how impressive the trail work was. The loop would have been totally impassable without those crews having responded so quickly. (A useful time to be grateful for state trail funding, since leg session is happening right now….worth a call to those state legislators.)

After seeing recent reports for Oxbow Lake Trail my wife and I decided to give it a try, despite the chilly weather.  It was a good choice and a nice afternoon hike.  There were a few icy spots, especially on the bridge at the end of the lake, so care was needed.  The trail was clear of downed trees (thanks to those who did the work) but their impact could be seen in several spots along the trail.  We went clockwise around the loop, including a side trip down to the side of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River to sit and sip hot soup.  After the bridge the trail ascends above the lake and follows the contour of the lake all the way around.  It's a great way to see the lake from many different angles, especially now when the leaves are gone, and the views are less obstructed.  Especially nice right now is that you can see the mountains in the background from the trail. 

As always, when we go anywhere up the middle fork road I am in awe of deep, thick moss draping the trees and the ground. This time of the year, with the leaves fallen to the ground, the mossy branches twist and turn in the air, overlooking the lake below. The gnarly branches even sport growths of ferns way up in the branches. 

There are two parking areas for the trail.  The first one as you drive up the road is located at the start of the loop trail.  The second one is the one that has the toilet facilities (clean and stocked).  There is a 1/4 mile trail connecting the two parking lots.  If you park in the first one, you will need to hike that far (each way) if you need the facilities.  If you park at the second one you will need to hike that same trail at the start and end to reach the loop trail.  The choice is yours.

My wife likes low elevation gain hikes that are far enough in the back country that you can't hear any roads or airplanes. This one is perfect: amazing views for a pretty mellow hike.

Be aware that with the cold weather this week, the Middle Fork Road has some black ice patches between the Mailbox and Granite Lakes trailheads where the water runs over the road. 

The trail itself is in great shape. We saw probably 20 people on the trail, many of which were families with young kids, but for a sunny Saturday, there was a lot of solitude. 

We only had time for a short afternoon hike today and being a weekend decided to try and avoid the more popular I90 hikes.  As we thought we were going to get rained on the short distance of Oxbow Loop seemed like a winner on all fronts.  And of course reports of otters is enough to get me out there without or without a rain jacket.  Easy parking in the main lot and just a couple of other groups out. 

It did rain but not all the way around, and sadly even though we looked and looked we did not spy the otters.  But with all that stopping and staring we gave the clouds enough time to clear and so were rewarded with the most amazing cloud vistas up to Russian Butte instead.  With no leaves on the trees and the low angle light the mountain views with their fresh snowy peaks were beyond spectacular.  So this little hike is really quite the gem.  We skipped the spur to the river so didn't quite get two miles, but with so much to enjoy we were still out over an hour.

There is quite a damage from the winter storms, but the trail itself is intact and I was happy to see that the enormous spruce right near the pond's edge was still intact.  Wearing a winter coat of both moss and lichen it's quite an eco system all by itself.  There is so much moss here sometimes it's hard to know where it ends and the trees begin.  The Middle Fork might not count as a true rain forest but no one seems to have told the valley that!

Sadly on our return to the parking lot I noticed new graffiti on the back of the outhouses there.  This scourge of modern living is finding its way ever further into the mountains and it's sickening - just why?

On a tip from Bob and Barb, I decided to go on a birds nest fungi treasure hunt. It’s funny because I’ve been lucky to find a lot of these little guys over the years, and with their tip, I knew exactly where to go. Well, I hit the trail with eyes peeled and I couldn’t spot one! My husband was patient but wanted to get moving, so I decided to look again after we made the loop.
What a nice trail. Thank you to the people with chainsaws! A lot of work had gone into this trail!! Lots of beautiful, thick moss. Interesting fungi. Peekaboo mountain views.
As we returned to the big root all by the vault toilet, my husband was searching the left side and I found 3 little birds nest on the right. I knew there were more but someone was getting hangry so we headed back to the car for a sandwich.
I couldn’t resist one more look and there they were! If they were tiny little snakes, they would have bit me. Hiding in plain sight, a whole colony of birds nest. Right on the log that lines the trail.
How fun! Thanks Bob & Barb!