Bottom Line:

Snoqualmie Middle Fork valley is always a treat! Beautiful, with mossy trees, snow-covered peaks and emerald waters. Tried the Oxbow trail for the first time - the surrounding forest is especially beautiful and horseshoe-shaped Oxbow Lake is very intriguing - I will return to explore at lake level with my pack-raft (not certain I can get through in some of the shallower spots)! Snow starts at road level just before the Middle Fork trail, with some slippery sections of trail. The road is clear (for now... storm coming).

Stats:

• Distance: ~4-1/2 miles
• Duration: ~2 hours
• Weather: Mostly cloudy with sprinkles, and periods of sleet/hail; 30Fs; no wind; low cloud ceiling with some fog, but that only enhanced the ethereal nature of the trail; some sunshine peeking through late in the afternoon
• Road/Parking: The road is clear despite recent windstorms; always advisable to bring a saw in case a tree comes down so you are not locked in the valley, as there is no cell service; quiet day, so lots of parking at the Oxbow and Middle Fork lots, as well as the periodic pullouts to enjoy the mountain and river views; Discovery Pass required at parking spots; restrooms opened, but notice about no maintenance
• Trail: The trails are in pretty good shape, but quite muddy and slushy in spots as to be expected; the Oxbow Loop trail was new to me, and I was surprised by its beauty - thick moss coating all the trees at though they had on puffy winter parkas; for some trees, all I could see was moss! There are many huge trees on this trail as well. The trail has beach access on the river (nice talking to the fly fisherwoman) and circumnavigates Oxbow Lake. With all the beard lichen hanging on the trees overhanging and fallen in Oxbow's looping channel, the waterway really looked like a southern swamp near Savannah Georgia, except for the background of snowy peaks! Saw some of the largest Big Leaf maples I think I have ever seen today.  Afterwards, we did some of the Middle Fork trail, which had some snow and slippery sections.
• Takeaway: A real temperate rain forest on the edge of Puget Sound with stunning contrasts, from snowy mountains to granite faces, emerald rivers and creeks, and fantastical forests of large trees, moss and hanging lichens. Even in the winter - BEAUTIFUL!

Nice day but chilly! Almost no people out today, trail not too slick either with no snow. Lots of mossy trees and Mountain views. Hiked with a 3 yr old (who walked 99% of the way) and 1 yr old in backpack. Easy parking. Overall a very kid friendly trail! Better to go later in the day when the sun gets above the mountains - brrrr!!

Another visit to the Oxbow/Pratt combo hikes today, this time with Mrs. B.

Oxbow is always lovely, scenic with moss covered maples, the Middle Fork running by and near, the overlooks of Oxbow Lake. Nice privys there too which always seem to be open and clean. Today we saw several families with children and I can't help but think what a great trail Oxbow is to bring kids on. Its not too long, its pretty and its flat. Seems like a great place to get a start with children on hiking.

After an hour or so at Oxbow, we headed up the road about two miles to the pull out on the left for the trek up to Pratt. Pratt must not be a secret anymore as we saw several groups of people on the trail and were joined at the Balcony by two small groups of hikers during our lunch break there. Its snow free now of course, a bit of a workout to get up there but the view is always lovely, if just a bit busier than my last two or three visits.

Incidentally in the parking lot at Oxbow a chat with two other hikers clued me into a hidden, secret bench up very near Pratt. It faces the other way, overlooking the Garfield Ledges (see pic), and worth a checkout. If you can find it! Secret... I'm not telling. Shout out to the two hikers in the red Tacoma if you read this!

Took us about 45 minutes to get back to the car from Pratt and off we went.

The Oxbow Loop off the Middle Fork Road is especially beautiful during these days of a low sun (when it shines...). The soft, warm light brings out the fabulous moss and lichen cover of the trees.

I suggest parking at the restroom building and walking from there such as not to miss a nice view across the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River to the mountains.

The trail is well built and fairly wide, almost accessible as is. It would be great if DNR made it truly wheelchair-accessible.

What a beautiful Friday for a short hike! We arrived to the trailhead a little after 1:00 to find a few spaces left in the small roadside lot. The pit toilets were open with toilet paper, and the right was more disgusting than the left. 

We saw one other dog on leash, and a handful of other hikers of varying ages. There are several benches around the lake to rest or enjoy the scenery.  The lake was breathtaking as were the trees and mountain views. We hiked with a 10, 8, and 5 year old, and all had energy to spare when we finished.