Taylor River - Otter Falls, Snoqualmie Lake — Saturday, Mar. 17, 2007

Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area

This is a good choice for an early spring day in iffy weather when you just want to get the BLEEP out of the city. Irrationally exuberant potholes last couple miles of the road. NOTE: This old road is on the North side of the valley, so should melt-out sooner than a lot of other places. Substantial snow on last couples miles of old Taylor River Road, but firm, not a significant impediment. Some blowdown and water crossings but nothing corgi-proof. It's mostly fast & easy. Major bridges all in good shape, including a new one. At the old Snoqualmie Lake trailhead (signed), do not let the nest of blowdowns dissuade you. It's the worst (will soon be gone). Trail is mostly snow-free until close to the lake (not what you'd expect; there's snow on the old road but not much on the trail). There are some blowdowns but few of them mean business. We did not go all the way to the lake. Snow starts getting deep but it's firm. Trail is rough in places, rocky/rooty, water on trail, BUT it is surveyed and flagged for ambitious-looking trail work. Lots of old puncheon in picturesque stages of advanced dissolution -- some of it's completely gone. Gosh, does guvmint still pay real people to create real jobs? Hope some of us get our money's worth both repairing and walking this one. There's an ipressive cascade. This'll be really sweet when the work is done; see it before they improve it too much.