Middle Fork Snoqualmie River, Rock Creek, Snow Lake, Gem Lake, Lower Wildcat Lake & Upper Wildcat Lake — Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023

I went out to Upper Wildcat Lake via the backdoor route from the Dingford Creek TH in the Middlefork Valley.  The Dingford Road is notoriously rough and best suited to higher-clearance vehicles. Even with the right wheels, expect to spend a good 40 minutes covering the 6 miles to the trailhead.  The lot was about 3/4 full at 7am on Saturday.  Not surprising given the unusually warm and sunny weather forecast.

I started up the Middlefork Trail toward Rock Creek.  The trail is popular and well-groomed; there were a couple blowdowns the size of baseball bats and a bit of mud here and there, but otherwise no obstacles.  I got about a mile into my hike when I heard a squaking sound up ahead like a gaggle of jays but coming from ground level.  I rounded a corner and came face to face with a mama cougar and her four little cubs.  Turns out baby lions sound like birds.  The instant my brain registered what was happening, I slipped back around the corner and down the trail a ways, talking loudly so the cats could hear where I was.  I had been only about 15 feet away from them and I'm lucky mom didn't feel the need to attack.  She shepherded her kittens away from me just as fast as I retreated from them.  Slowly the sound of squaking grew farther away until it was gone.  It sounded like they crossed the river at the shallows we were near.  I then continued along the trail, still talking loudly in case they were nearby. For the record, the babies were beyond cute: about the size of a small dog like a scotty with fuzzy yellow fur covered in brown spots.  I wish I had taken a picture but I was more concerned at the time with safety.

I made it to mile 3 and the signed junction with the Rock Creek Trail.  Make sure to fill up your bottles before reaching the juction as the RCT is dry.  Climbing steeply, I ascended the 5 miles of long, meandering switchbacks to the oft visited Snow Lake.  Rock Creek is a breeze now compared to before the really big trail-blocking logs got cut.  There are lots of rocky areas requiring careful footwork and areas of sloping tread on the upper trail but little else to worry about.

I passed along the shores of Snow Lake and began climbing up to Gem Lake.  It's only 1.5 miles or so to reach Gem but the trail is very rugged and steep in places.  Roots, rocks, high steps and loose stones will slow you down a bit as you go.  I made it to the lake and continued on toward the Wildcats.  Most hikers stop at Gem and I only saw a few others the rest of the day.  The trail switchbacks steeply down into a rugged valley and delivers you to the huckleberry lined shores of Lower Wildcat Lake.  A half-mile climb up a now well-defined trail takes you to the real prize: Upper Wildcat Lake.

I made camp and went fishing until dusk.  The weather was unseasonably warm and felt like an August night.  A few mosquitoes buzzed around and midges would pester me when I was at the water fishing but that was it for bugs.  Two other backpackers arrived in the evening and set up camps nearby.  Big shoutout to Liz who brought homemade cookies to share!  What a great wilderness neighbor!  I caught a few more trout Sunday morning then broke camp and headed home.  All in all a great overnighter to the Wildcat Lakes with an extra helping of wildcats.

Summary: ~26 miles RT w/~4500 ft elevation gain.  12 hours moving time.

"Do you realize that this is the very path that goes through Mirkwood, and that if you let it, it might take you to the Lonely Mountain or even further and to worse places?  He used to say that on the path outside the front door at Bag End, especially after he had been out for a long walk."

J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring