Tin Cup Joe Falls, Middle Fork Snoqualmie River — Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026

Tin Cup Joe Falls was one of the best hikes I did last year and I was inspired by the previous trail report from ALW Hiker to head back up there. 

Today I took the longer way, starting from the Middle Fork Trailhead. The only notable thing that's new on the Middle Fork Trail since the last trail report is that most of the boardwalks on the trail were icy and slick, even in the mid-afternoon when I headed back. There was also quite a bit of hair ice, which is always awesome.

I find the first part of the Tin Cup Joe Trail from the Cripple Creek Bridge to be pretty simple. The fun starts half way up where there's an old growth tree that's fallen across the creek (you'll know it when you see it). From that point there are several route finding challenges and half a dozen old growth blowdowns that apparently were too big to cut, so you mostly have to go under them. 

Where the trail heads over the creek below the lower falls, the creek looked crossable today. But since it's February and I was hiking solo I opted out and took the gully route up the climber's right side of the creek. Last time I was here I took the route marked by cairns, but this time due to the bare trees, I could see another lower route. There was still the requisite bushwhacking. Someone had recently sawed a few branches here though and made it a little more accessible. This dropped me at the bottom of the upper falls.

I think the flow was lower than when ALW Hiker was up here. It was easy to cross into the middle and get to the bottom of the left side falls. Last June when I was up here last, the flow was quite a bit higher and this probably wouldn't have been a possibility. I had lunch at the base of the falls and daydreamed about hiking to Derrick, Shamrock and the other Lakes which feed these falls.

There was no snow anywhere. Also, due to the bare trees, I was able to get a good look at Wild Dare Falls right before Lower Tin Cup Joe Falls. Usually it's hiding behind some deciduous trees.

I didn't see a single person until I'd returned to the Middle Fork Trail. From there I only ran into 5 people. Lots of solitude.