With both of us having the day off, my boyfriend and I embarked on a Thanksgiving-day hike. Just the drive into the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie Forest is beautiful, with river views and tall peaks around each turn in the road. Based upon previous reviews, we decided to park at the Middle Fork Trailhead Lot and took the connector trail to Garfield Ledges. This proved to be a wise decision--the potholes at the Garfield lot were ridiculous. I'd only recommend driving up there if you have 4 wheel drive and/or a car you like to take off-roading. Plus, the outhouse at Middle Fork is still open for the winter, unlike the Garfield Ledges trailhead. While we had planned to purchase a Northwest Forest Pass at Middle Fork, lack of cell service sabotaged our good intentions. Come prepared, either with a physical pass or by purchasing in advance online.
The Middle Fork Connector Trail is slightly concealed by trees, but it is directly opposite the bathrooms, as written, and was easy to find once we knew which direction to look. Besides being much more convenient for parking, the connector enhanced the hike itself. The almost entirely flat trail meanders along a branch of the Snoqualmie River, with tall evergreens and moss carpets that look like something out of a Studio Ghibli Movie. Garfield Ledges starts above river-level, so we really enjoyed the bonus river sights and sounds from the connector. The connector joined back with the main road at a bridge, which lead us to the Garfield Ledges parking lot.
The Garfield trailhead is located slightly behind and above the outhouse building. The hill starts almost immediately, but it is never overwhelming. Out of the whole trail, the 30+ stairs were the most challenging portion. The trek brought us through quiet, mossy forest with only a handful of other hikers. We saw no wildlife but did encounter a variety of interesting mushrooms, fungi, and nurse stumps. There were maybe two or three downed trees along the path, but all were fairly easy to step over.
The view at the top was just as stunning as promised. While we caught glimpses of the valley during our climb, they did not compare to the open view at the trail's end. A interpretive sign gave historical and geological context to the valley, which is always appreciated by a nerd such as myself.
With the connector trail and Garfield Ledges combined, round trip logged in at about 3.5 miles. I'd give the trip 4.5 stars (bumped up by the inclusion of the connector trail.) This is a great hike for kids or a more low-key excursion.
Comments