Hike Date: 04-06-2013
Distance (Roundtrip): 10 miles
Elevation Gain: 650 ft
Highest Point: 1750 ft
Taylor River Hiking Guide
It's been awhile since I visited the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Road (US Forest Road 56). This old unpaved road is 12.5 miles of deep potholes and large rocks, leading drivers deeper into the Snoqualmie wilderness. The last time I had driven it, I visited Middle Fork trail, a popular destination for hikers and mountain bikers. Today, I returned to explore Big Creek Falls on the Taylor River Trail.
The trailhead can be found past the Middle Fork parking area on the Taylor River Road. Just continue driving until the end of the road. There's a gated bridge with a small parking lot and a sign that reads Snoqualmie Lake trail. Just beyond the gate and across the bridge is the beginning of the trail. I arrived at 8:15am and found no other cars in site. It was dark, gray, and pouring rain.
I wasn't able to find any signs explicitly pointing to "Big Creek Falls", so I kept my Day Hiking Guide handy. About half a mile into the hike, the trail forks. The path left leads to Quartz Lake while the path right leads to Snoqualmie Lake. The guide map shows Big Creek Falls is along the Snoqualmie Lake trail (among many other popular destinations), so I made my way right.
The trail is pretty well-kept. It only gains 650ft of elevation, so I had a nice break from the thigh-burning climbs I had been doing in weeks past. At this time of year and in this kind of weather, the trail becomes a stream on some parts along the way. There are many small creeks to maneuver across, but nothing impossible. However, there were two creek crossings I can recall with relatively strong currents and little or no stepping stones, so be very careful.
In about 3 miles, a wooden bridge crosses over Marten Creek. Continuing on, I struggled a bit with patches of snow on the trail. While the snow was too compact for snowshoes, I found it was still soft enough to give way to my feet. There were times when I fell knee-deep into the snow. The wet conditions of the trail along with the occasional snow dive made for very cold feet!
When I finally reached the Big Creek Falls, it felt like I had stumbled upon a lost city. Out of the trees was something resembling a part of a freeway. As I walked onto the bridge, Big Creek Falls was roaring on the north side. It was a little scary being so close to the powerful current of water crashing down the steep granite surface, but amazing nonetheless. I reached my destination in about 2 hours.
On the way back to the trailhead, the guide recommends stopping at Otter Falls. I wasn't able to find a sign for it or the cairn as described in the guide. I do recall seeing a pink ribbon tied to a tree branch on the north side of the main trail, but I must have missed it on the way back. It was so rainy and cold, I decided to skip it. It gives me an excuse to return in better weather!
Photos
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