CCC Road: Blowout Creek Trailhead — Saturday, Jun. 7, 2003

Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area

We began from the east end, about 4.2 miles past the bridge over the middle fork of the Snoqualmie river, and hiked the old and long abandon CCC road to Blowout creek. Look for a cliff above the road where the road is near the river. There were two cars and just enough room for one more. Must have been fishing in the river as we didn't see anyone and the cars were gone when we returned. Near the trail head there are several trenches and big rocks to stop vehicles then several small blow downs. At around one half mile the good road turns abruptly up hill. Continue straight across a dry (today) creek and along a couple of hundred yards of nearly washed out road. From here the old CCC road grade is in good shape but is over grown. About 15% of the trail has salmon berry across the trail at chest to head height. Not difficult to push through but unpleasant. Worse, the salmon berry is being replaced along the whole length of the trail by the introduced Evergreen Blackberry and near the trail head by Himalayan Blackberry. Now most of it is small enough to pull out with one hand but in a few years the trail will be impassable. From the junction with the Bessemer Mountain road to Blowout creek the road is in good shape and would be passable in a passenger car. In fact we saw fresh tier tracks. Blowout creek runs across the road, wide and shallow but if it were a little deeper it would be hard to cross with dry feet. Salmon berries were good but in the way. Invasive plants; Evergreen blackberry, Herb Robert and Scot's broom. Several Red-legged Frogs, one treefrog, Garter snakes, and tailed frog tadpoles.