Bring your bug spray, or prepare to be eaten alive!

Steep part of trail is very unstable, poles will be extremely helpful on this hike.

My last visit to Union Creek was August 6, 2017, a mere five days before lightning started the fire that would ultimately scorch this area. The beginning of the trail is much as it was, except that the stout footlog over Union Creek is now open, with railing and stairs, enabling an easy crossing. Just ahead, the side trails leading down to the lower and upper tier viewpoints of Union Creek Falls are intact. Surprising to me, there is a lot of plant life along this part of the trail - not just fireweed, but many different species. Based on a report from 2018, the greenery is making a rapid comeback.

I looked for the enormous pine cones from white pines at 1.2 miles, but there were none to be seen. Nevertheless, there were some green trees remaining in the first couple miles of the hike. The hill opposite Union Creek (to the southwest) looked brown and dead.

I noticed during my hike how quiet it was. There were precious few birds, or other wildlife. To my surprise, there were a number of grasshoppers 2 miles in.

WASHOUTS

The big surprise was the washouts. I had read recent trip reports, but was not prepared for the number or severity of the washouts. Nor did it occur to me that they continue to get worse. Getting to the North Fork Union Creek and its waterfalls is no longer easy, and in fact should not be attempted when heavy or sustained rains are possible. For those who want details, keep reading.

At 1.3 miles, there is an easy crossing of a small stream; just take two steps downslope, then step across the stream. You can see the trail on the other side. At 1.5 miles, there is a significant washout, leaving a gully about 4 feet deep and 10 feet across. I went downstream a short distance and downclimbed into the gully, then easily up the other side. Scouting the route and then getting across took me a couple of minutes. But then I got to The Big One, at 1.6 miles. As you are stepping over some small trees fallen across the trail, you suddenly realize that the trail is gone – simply gone. It abruptly ends at a vertical drop of 10-12 feet. The width of this gully is larger too, about 20-25 feet across. And the vertical drop-off continues for at least a couple hundred feet both downhill and uphill. Because of the large detour, I was unable to get a good photo of this largest washout. Just imagine one twice as large as the photo I am including of the second washout.

If you are to continue, you must want it badly enough to go cross-country, around and over blackened trees of various sizes. Route-finding skills are a must, especially for finding your way back. I chose to look for passage on the downhill side, and I was glad that I did. It is probably no harder to cross the gully than if I had headed uphill, but I got to learn more about the nature of the washout.

I traveled 250 feet down the slope (dropping 45 vertical feet), then stepped out into a broad flat fan of debris. There were sections of mud, sand, small rocks, medium sized rocks, and a mixture of all. Most of the alluvial fan was squishy underfoot – the aftermath of a gushing rock and mud slide. I walked the remaining 200 feet slightly downhill, to where Union Creek abutted the opposite bank. The mudslide had temporarily dammed the creek, forming a small and shallow pond. Deer hoof prints three inches deep in the silt alerted me to keep my distance.

This is all quite important, for it reveals that these washouts are not a problem that trail rebuilding will solve. The soil uphill is no longer anchored in place by trees and vegetation. The soil will continue to get washed downstream in flash floods, creating hiking hazards in rainy weather.

BEYOND THE WASHOUTS

I walked back upstream and found a spot where I could climb back up on the far bank. From there, the trail stays at around 4000 feet, and there were no more washouts.

At 2.3 miles is the North Fork Union Creek. The lower tier of North Union Falls is more visible now, through diminished tree cover. Previously, a bridge crossed the creek at the top of a cascade just above the falls. The bridge is gone, with just remnants of the wire that suspended it, visible downstream. There is a fairly large log spanning the creek, but it angles up to as much as five feet above the creek, so it’s not for the timid. A smaller log at water level allowed me easy access to the far shore, where I went to the right less than 200 feet for my favorite part of the hike: the upper tier of North Union Falls. Getting to the pool at the base of the falls is easier now; there is no longer a big logjam to negotiate; simply rock-hop the creek.

After lunch in a delightful setting, I continued on a half mile past the North Fork. At this point, I ran out of green trees. The underbrush was gone, enabling easy sight of sparkling Union Creek. But all of the trees here were brown or black, quite dead looking. The only greenery was at ground level. This is where I turned around.

Summary:

Most people shouldn’t go past the two viewpoints of Union Creek Falls. Those who choose to press on should heed the weather, and be prepared for conditions worse than I am describing. There is no doubt in my mind that the washouts will continue to worsen trail conditions.

My work party buddy and I came down here a day early in anticipation of doing some hiking before a work party. The Tipsoo Lake loop was socked in and had too much snow, so we came down here. We wish we would have started earlier. This is a nice little hike, even tho much of the first couple of miles is in burned forest. We did not make it in to the big waterfall at 2 miles, started late and ran out of time, as we had to set up camp. The highlight of the hike was the beautiful big waterfall shortly after starting. There are a couple of viewpoints veering off the main trail to the left. They are steep and somewhat treacherous, and, as stated in the guide, have kids and dogs under tight control. After waterfall viewing, we hiked up the ridge trail, where we saw a few mtn views, but nothing to wow us much. We ended our hike about 1 1/2 miles in at a big washout. The washout can be scrambled down easily, and we could have done it if we would have had an earlier start. This is a nice hike, worth taking if your Mt Rainier hikes are too busy or too snowy, or socked it. 

Started out from the trailhead off Hwy 410 around noon, with only one other car in the parking lot.

Followed the trail ~2mi in, up to the crossing with the North Fork. The only obstacle up to that point was a washout ~0.5mi earlier, where we ended up detouring ~150ft upstream to find a place to cross (the stream is easy to step over, but in a deep trench). To cross the North Fork, you'd either have to get wet feet, or balance on a long log several feet above the stream.

The forest along the trail, while badly burned in 2017, wasn't completely burned, so there was plenty of green and lots of wildflowers and fungi.

On the way back, we checked out two short side trails to Union Creek Falls.

Encountered ~10 parties on the trail, including only one past the Union Creek Falls.

There's nothing like the smell of the forest on a hot day - so pine-y! The lupine were fragrant today, too. 

As noted, there is a steep section on this trail and it quickly reminded me that I am still recovering from winter's relative lack of activity. We took our time, enjoyed the waterfalls and flowers, and marveled at the destruction of the Norse Peak Fire. 

Trail condition was mostly good with a couple trees down that aren't problematic and a couple wet spots were a small stream crosses the trail. The main obstacle was the stream/washout a mile and a half from the trailhead. There is a steep drop down to the stream with no crossing that's immediately obvious. There are a few options for crossing this section:

1. Slide down the banks but this would be messy and cause further erosion;
2. Cross the fallen log - effective, but a little sketchy because it's not a large log;
3. Walk up the stream a bit until the bank slopes down and you see the boot path down to the stream - this is probably the safest and simplest way to go at this time, just watch your step because the soil is pretty soft and gives easily. If you choose this option, be careful not to step on the sensitive foliage - there's lots of bare dirt with some plants coming back after the fire. Hopefully in the future a bridge can be put in to help keep us from going off trail.

After passing the washout, it's only another half mile to the North Fork Union Creek waterfall. Continuing on the trail requires you to cross the creek on a fallen log. This one is much more substantial than the one at the washout, but it's still an iffy crossing because if you fell into the water, there's a good chance you would go over the waterfall. If you choose to cross, go right to see another waterfall.

On the way back, I took all the side trails I could find to get closer to the waterfall. There's a lot of water coming over it right now - quite a sight to see... and hear! 

Specs from Gaia: 4.23mi, 2.5hr, 601ft